The Black Moon Dragon
by Master Hexer
Summary: Night Fury: the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself. But wait, wouldn't that mean that it was created from two different dragons?... A dark and shadowy girl arrives mysteriously on Berk the same time as a new dragon disappears in the night. but there is so much more than meets the eye with this girl. Exactly how deep is her connection to the Black Moon Dragon?
1. its big, its bad, and its comming

As far as the Berkians knew, the Night Fury was the most powerful of all dragons, capable of flying faster than all known dragons, and the most loyal to its rider. None of them had ever imagined that there would be a dragon capable of matching it. But there was, they had just never seen it.

They say that the Night Fury is the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself, but did anyone ever stop to question the legend and ask; if the Night Fury is the child, then what were the parents like?

Hundreds of miles to the south of Berk, a single dragon flew over the raging sea. Behind it, sailing on the wild waves, was a fleet of ships, determined to catch up and kill the huge beast. The dragon was injured from arrows piercing its hide and from having boulders smashed into it. It was tired, its energy almost spent, and being hunted. But despite its dwindling energy, it pressed on. It would not let these humans defeat it.

It was time to change tactics.

With a sudden lurch, the dragon shot further up in the sky and turned to face its enemy head on. It let its fire build in its stomach and lungs and dive-bombed the fleet. Explosive blue fire erupted from its mouth as it came within rage, and it burnt three ships in quick succession, roaring in triumph as the humans screamed and jumped overboard. The Vikings on board shouted at the black dragon in rage, and the leader screamed to press on the attack.

The moon rose behind the dragon, illuminating it in the night sky. The humans looked up to it in fear as it reared its head and appeared to glow in the eerie light. The ferocious beast was larger than the Night Fury they had seen in months previously, but had the same sort of black scales. Its wings sparkled in the light from the speckled silver scales on their underside and its eyes glowed a spooky silver.

They watched as it bared its fangs and its throat started to glow. They all heard the crackle of electricity before it shot out of its mouth at the ships. With a dramatic BANG, the ships exploded and the dragon roared again.

The black and silver dragon could feel itself weakening as it used up more of its precious energy. It desperately wanted to finish the job and obliterate the remainder of the fleet, but it surrendered the fight and flew off into the night towards the only form of land. It wasn't even certain if there was land in that direction, but it had to try. With a defiant shriek, it flew away from the broken ships. The crew were almost certain it meant 'you cross me again, I will destroy you all'.

The black beast flew for hours, becoming even more uncertain of the promise of land the further it went. It kept dropping out of the sky and towards the sea as the hours ticked by. Its eyes closed some time before dawn while its body kept pushing on further north. It was close to collapse as the sky began to lighten to a deep blue, and finally, its wings gave out. The dragon fell out of the sky, and landed on a sandy beach that only Thor knew where. Somewhere deep in the dragons mind it thought,

 _I made it. I'm not going to die today._

The huge black dragon lazily opened its moon-like eyes and looked around. It sniffed the air, and was glad to detect that no humans were around. It slowly stood up from its position on the ground and shook the sand from its body. It appeared to be on a beach right next to a forest with no civilisation in sight. That was good for the dragon. But it was still weak and out on the open. It had to find shelter before the night began.

It shoo out its cramping wings and assessed its body, covered in cuts and bloody wounds that were already healing. If it was during any other time in the lunar cycle, or even on the night of the full moon it could have healed within minutes or hours, but thanks to the new moon that night, it would have to tend to its wounds for the next few weeks.

It huffed in annoyance and looked back at its surroundings. It decided that it shouldn't waste much time and walked forward, intending to find shelter and food before nightfall. All day it walked through the forest – it was too tired to fly anywhere – before it came to a very small clearing in the forest. Something foreign moved against its talons, and when it looked, it discovered a broken and rotten rope on the ground attached to a weighted ball. It recognised this thing, even I its broken state. It was a bola.

It made a rumbling noise in its throat in curiosity ad it thought of why something like this was here. Did a human manage to knock a dragon out of the air with this and it fell here?

Frankly, it didn't care that much. The scent of human on the rope was practically non-existent, meaning that whoever came in contact with this hadn't been round for months.

It continued its search for a place to rest. Shortly it came to a ledge covered in tree roots and dirt. Down below was a very secluded cove with a small lake and plenty of cover. Looking around, it also found that there was a way for it to climb down, as well as a narrow path for a human to walk through to get to the ground. It was the perfect spot.

The huge black dragon climbed down and assessed the area more closely. It thought to itself

 _Yes, here is a good spot. I could even make a temporary nest to sleep in._

The sun traveled across the sky before dropping towards the sea in the afternoon. In the hours that had passed, the beast had been able to construct its own camp and managed to catch itself enough food for a while. Now all it had to do was wait for darkness, then it would begin.

Hours later, the sun disappeared below the world and night took over, it was nearly time. The black and silver dragon gazed at the sparkling stars while it waited for midnight. Eventually, the time came, and the pan started growing. It fell to the ground and writhed in agony as pain wracked its body. When it could feel its bones begin to shift and break to change into its new form, the screaming started.

Its wails of agony were heard from miles around, and it hoped that there were no humans nearby to hear it. Unknown to it as its wings and tail shrank into its body and its scales fell off, that nearly every Viking in the nearby village heard the screams.

No one slept well that night, their nightmares filled with the shrieks of a dying dragon and the terrified and pain filled screams of a human.


	2. What the hell was that!

**Hey guys, just want to apologize in advance for any spelling mistakes I've missed. I've been wanting to get this story out of my head for a while and just wrote it down kinda quickly. hope you like it.**

 **Please leave a review and let me know what you think. :)**

Hiccup was woken by his Night Fury nudging his face. He groaned and cracked open his eyes to see Toothless looking down at him worriedly.

"What's the matter bud?" he said to the dragon. Toothless warbled like he was worried. Toothless crooned at him and made a shrieking sound right next to his ear.

"Oww, Toothless. That hurts my ears. But seriously, what's the matter?" he said while rubbing his newly sore ears. Toothless shrieked again and looked out the window of his room, peering out towards the forest.

Hiccup's eyes went wide. Toothless must have meant the horrible noise he heard, but he was sure he only dreamt it. "You heard that weird noise too?" he asked. The dragon nodded.

He jumped up out of bed and quickly got dressed. "If you and I heard it, even if I thought I was dreaming, maybe the others heard it too. Let's go out and check."

The two of them went down the stairs and out the door, not before Hiccup grabbed a fish and some toast for himself and Toothless. A quick walk later and the two of them had made it to the Academy, where he found Fishlegs and Meatlug waiting for him already.

"Hiccup, there you are. Did you hear that strange noise last night?" he asked with wide eyes. "I thought I was dreaming when I heard it, but I ran into some people this morning on my way here, and they all said they heard it too. Everyone's saying it was a dragon."

"Hey Hiccup!" someone called from behind him. It was Ruffnut and Tuffnut, who were strangely early for once. "Please tell me you heard it too. That loud scream! It gave us nightmares last night! It was awesome."

Before anyone else could speak, in came Snotlout with Hookfang. "I am never sleeping again. Not after that." He panted. "Ok, before anyone else speaks, are you guys all taking about that shriek in the night? Or did we all just have the same nightmare?" Hiccup said over everyone.

"First of all, if we did all have the same nightmare, that would be awesome. And second, I'm pretty sure we all heard the sound last night, but we were just all sleeping." Said Tuffnut.

"well if we did all hear it, then what caused it?" asked his twin sister. At that same moment, Astrid flew in on Stormfly with a slightly worried look on her face. "Hiccup, I have a message from your father. Apparently the whole village heard this horrible nightmarish scream last night, Stoick is currently calming everyone down in the Great Hall, but he wants all of us to investigate into whatever caused that noise."

Hiccup nodded and instructed everyone to saddle their dragons. Not long after that, they all flew out of the Academy to search for whatever creature made that horrible sound. They flew over the island, stopping in the clearings they found and looked about. They found nothing.

"ugh, we've been searching for hours and we haven't found anything but a few Terrible Terrors and a couple of boars." Complained Snotlout. "He's right Hiccup. There isn't anything here." Came Fishlegs' reply.

Hiccup sighed. The memory of that shriek still terrified him, and he didn't know if he really wanted to find out what had caused it. "I think we should take a break guys. We've been flying all day so far and we need lunch. Let's head to the Cove for half an hour."

Everyone agreed and took off to their new destination. They came to the tops of the trees surrounding the cove before Astrid called out. "What's that down there?"

Everyone looked to where she was pointing and saw something crumpled in the dirt by a cave, and it was covered in blood.

"Be careful guys." Hiccup warned. He directed Toothless down to the ground some way away from the thing, and the others followed suit. They dismounted form their dragons and carefully walked over to get a look at whatever it was that Astrid spotted form the air.

They stopped in shock and gasped at what they saw. It was a person, beaten and bloodied and covered in dirt. Covered in some sort of black cloak and leggings, with black short hair and pale skin. Hiccup knelt down next to the body, they were still breathing. Probably just knocked out, but badly injured. The others came closer to look at the poor unfortunate person who looked like they had been hit by a catapult and mauled by a wild dragon.

"Guys, get me some water. And someone grab a medical pack." Said Hiccup.

Fishlegs got him a flask of clean water and Astrid ran back from her saddlebags with a medical kit under her arm. Hiccup carefully cleaned and bandaged the wounds.

"What the hell happened to him?" asked Snotlout. "Uh. Its not a he… it's a she." Said Hiccup who sounded nervous. They all looked at him and then to the passed out person on the ground. Hiccup looked uncomfortable at his discovery and they all noticed why. The girls black cloak had been pulled back – so Hiccup could clean the cut on her collarbone – and they could all see her low cut undershirt. She wasn't showing very much skin, but they could definitely tell she was female.

Hiccup coughed awkwardly and moved away. Astrid stepped forward to deal with her wounds.

"I don't know what happened. But she looks like she was half eaten." Said Fishlegs.

The stranger's eyes snapped open in an instant and she jumped to her feet, knocking Astrid away and backing herself up against the stone behind her. They all looked at her in shock as she stood in a fighting stance, raised her hands to show sharp nails like claws, and bared her teeth in a hiss.

They all froze at her hostile behavior and backed away. The girl continued to snarl defiantly despite her wounds, like she wound attack and kill if they came too close.

The dragons ran forward to protect their riders, with Toothless pushing everyone back so he stood at the front. The Night Fury growled at the girl, who growled back in challenge. To the Viking teens, it looked like the dragons would attack the bloodied girl, but she lunged forward and snarled at the Night Fury, who backed away in fright.

The two appeared to have a stare down for a few seconds, before Toothless stepped back in submission. But he never took his eyes off her. She looked up at the teenagers watching and opened her mouth to speak.

"Who are you?!" she demanded.

Everyone tensed at her hostility. Hiccup swallowed and took a careful step forward to introduce himself. "I'm Hiccup. This is Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout, Ruffnut and Tuffnut. We found you lying on the ground covered in blood and were trying to help." Something flashed in her silver grey eyes, but it disappeared before they could figure out what it was.

Astrid stepped forward, her hands up to show she meant no harm. "We are only trying to help you. We aren't going to hurt you." She seemed to calm slightly at her words. The dragons looked uneasy. No one knew what she was doing to them.

Fishlegs stepped forward slowly and did the same thing as Astrid, trying to make himself not look like a threat. "What's your name?" he asked the strange girl.

She only hissed in reply. Apparently she didn't want to give them her name. "Ok. That's ok. You don't want to tell us your name, that's alright." He stammered in fear. Those eyes were unnerving them. Even the Night Fury was affected by her presence.

"Where am I?" she demanded again.

Hiccup answered her. "You are on Berk. In the Barbaric Archipelago. How did you get here?" he asked.

She looked at him and replied sarcastically, "I flew here of course."  
Ruffnut sniggered in the background. The dragons looked at her warily.

" _Okay_ then. How about where you are from?" Hiccup tried again. "Nowhere, and everywhere." Came her reply.

"Uh, guys. Hate to interrupt, but weren't we supposed to be looking for the creature that made that ungodly sound last night?" asked Snotlout from near the back of the group. They all turned to look at him, and in doing so, they missed the look of shock on the girl's face.

"Weren't you the one who wanted to take a break from searching Snotlout?" asked Tuff.

"We can't just leave her here, especially since she's injured. We should take her back to the village, then we can go back out and look for it." Said Astrid.

Eventually they all agreed to go back to the village with the girl and tell Stock what they found. She protested at first, but after the promise of food she agreed to come – she hadn't eaten properly in over a week. But the girl requested that she walk there instead of riding with one of the teens. The dragons didn't want to let her on their backs anyway.

An hour later, they all made it back to the village which seemed to have calmed down after the horrible shrieking the night before.

The group of teens plus one walked towards the academy to have a small meeting about the creature and the girl. When they made it there however, they found Stoick and Gobber waiting for them.

"Hiccup, there you are son. Did you find anything while you were out?" asked Stoick.

"Uh, yea we did, but not what you're thinking." Replied Hiccup. The Chief looked over his shoulder to the strange new addition to their group. Her eyes were darting around everywhere, looking for possible ways to escape, when she looked at him. Stoick could tell that she was uncomfortable in this situation, and didn't exactly feel comfortable with him and Gobber in the arena.

"Who's this?" asked Gobber who came up beside his chief.

"She hasn't given us a name yet. We brought her back here to get her wounds looked at properly. She was in pretty bad shape." The two adults looked back at her and noticed that she was indeed covered in wounds, all of which were covered in bandages with her black cloak wrapped over top.

"Gobber, can you go and get Gothi for us, please. Those wounds need to be looked at." Said Stoick. "Right you are Chief."

When Gobber walked out to get the healer, Stoick walked up to their new guest intending to ask some questions.

"What's your name young lady?" he asked politely. She looked into his eyes, and at the sword at his waist. She took a few steps backwards and away from the teens, realising that they also carried weapons which she didn't see before.

Hiccup gave everyone a gesture to back away and carefully approached her. She bared her unusually sharp teeth at him and he froze.

"No weapons. Get rid of it." She commanded. Cautiously, Hiccup drew the dagger that he kept at his hip, and dropped it before kicking it away. She seemed to calm slightly and he let out a small breath.

"What's your name?" he asked quietly.

She stared at him like an animal stares at its prey, sizing him up. Eventually she calmed down enough and made herself look less threatening.

"I go by the name Shadow."


	3. its just too weird

As the hours ticked by, the gang of dragon riders learnt a few things about their new guest. She would only let one person approach her at a time after making sure they were unarmed. She didn't trust any of them, even Hiccup who everyone thought was the most trustworthy person they knew. And she didn't like the other dragons, and the feeling was mutual. They steered clear of the black cloaked girl and made an effort to growl at her given any opportunity.

After Gothi made it down from her hit to inspect her wounds, the elder became very wary of her presence. She had approached the shady stranger with extreme caution, and had made sure that she could see every move she made, as if Shadow was afraid that the short old woman was going to stab her in the back.

Shadow was very tense and didn't let her guard down completely. At times she just completely ignored their presence, and sat perched on top of a small mountain of barrels stacked in one corner of the arena. Since she had no intention of talking, Hiccup, Astrid and the gang gathered in a group to talk about the nightmarish scream they all heard that night.

"I'm telling you Hiccup, that scream sounded like a dragon in immense pain. like it was getting its wings ripped off. It was horrible" said Fishlegs. Snotlout piped up with a reply. "I know what I heard, I woke up after the screaming started, and I was sure it was a person being ripped to shreds." He said to the group. Tuffnut raised and eyebrow at him. "Wait a minute. If you woke up because of the sound, why did you go back to sleep and not go and wake up Hiccup or someone else?"

Snotlout looked at the ground in embarrassment. "Err, after I jumped out of bed to find someone, I kinda fell down the stairs and knocked myself out." He admitted.

The twins burst out laughing and Astrid covered her mouth with her hand as she sniggered.

"Ok then, that aside, what kind of conclusion can we come up with this information?" asked Hiccup. The others all looked clueless. Then Tuffnut had to go and come up with a stupid explaination.

"Oh, I got it! A person was hiding out in te forest and came across a dragon, they then attacked the dragon, making it scream, and then the dragon turned on them and tore them apart!" he cried in triumph at his conclusion and smiled hugely. Ruffnut smacked him in the head. "Idiot. If that did happen then wouldn't there be someone's dead body lying I the forest covered in cuts and bruises?"

Hiccup snapped his head up at her words. "Wait a minute." He looked over at the strange girl perched on a mountain of barrels. "We found her didn't we? Maybe she knows what happened." He said.

"Terrific idea Hiccup, go over and ask the crazy lady if she came across a dragon that tried to rip her to pieces last night. Brilliant." Snotlout sarcastically replied.

He shrugged. "You never know, she might know something. Uh, Shadow? Hello?... can we ask you something?" he called out.

She snapped her gaze towards him, and she was glad to see that he froze under her cold stare. "What?" she asked aloofly.

"Um, I don't suppose you saw some sort of dragon last night in the forest? Or something that made a sound like it was dying in extreme agony?"

Her eyes widened and she looked away from him. She didn't want to look at him, or anyone of them in fact. They all looked at her curiously.

"You won't find it." She said. "The dragon you all heard. It's gone, won't be back for a few weeks. Its kind have a… weird system." She said in a tone much softer than they were used to.

Fishlegs piped up in interest. "A new kind of dragon? You know if it?" he asked.

Her head dropped and she stared at her feet. "Yea, I know of them. Most people don't know they exist. Those who have heard its name think it's a myth. Only a few have ever seen one, those who have call them the Black Moon dragons." She said softly to them.

"You missed your chance to see it. The only time you can see one is if you can time it right. From the beginning of the moons waxing phase to the end of the moons waning phase. Then after that they disappear, until the start of the next lunar cycle. You just missed it, there was a new moon last night. The cycle has restarted now."

"Where did it go?" asked Fishlegs in awe of this information.

"Gone. Hidden… the only way you can find it, is if you figure out what you need to look for." Said Shadow ominously. She wrapped her cloak around herself and retreated into the depths of her own mind, shutting them out.

The gang of teens started whispering amongst themselves. A new kind of dragon that disappeared through the cycles of the moon, it was a very strange thing indeed. But the question they all wanted answered was, if it supposedly disappeared, then where did it go? And what does it do when it disappears?

It was getting late in the afternoon when they all decided to go to the Great Hall for dinner. They even convinced Shadow to go with them, but she stayed distant from everyone. After they had grabbed their food and sat down, they tried to get some more information out of Shadow about the mysterious Black Moon dragon. All the while, Toothless was sitting next to Hiccup, glaring at her as he munched on his fish.

"So, uh. Shadow. Since you know of this Black Moon dragon, do you know what it looks like?" asked Astrid.

Shadow looked up at her, then cast her gaze to the Night Fury in the room, he glared back.

"Like a Night Fury, but bigger." She said. Fishlegs eyes went wide. "How does it differ from a Night Fury?" he eagerly asked.

"they have bigger bodies, and larger wings that are good for manoeuvrability. They have narrow snouts and large razor sharp fangs. As well as a blade on their tail which they use as a weapon. And unlike the Night Fury, it has horns – not those weird ear flaps. They have a crown of horns on their head, sort of like a Nadder, but only six of them with three on each side, and a short horn on their nose that they can use as a sharpened battering ram." Hiccup was imagining what this huge beast looked like, he wanted to see one and was upset that they had missed their opportunity. He wanted to study this dragon and find out everything about it.

"They have silver scales too, on the membrane of their wings like stars. And their eyes glow like the moon, hence the name. Some people believe that they draw their strength from the moonlight itself."

"Bah! I don't believe this nonsense! All this sounds fake to me." Yelled Snotlout. "A dragon that draws its power from the moon? Can disappear with the cycle of the moon? What a load of rubbish."

Everyone looked at him in shock. How dare he yell at someone and call them a liar. Did he have a death wish?

Shadow glared at him in hatred and bared her teeth. "Well if you are so smart," the twins sniggered. "then answer me this. If the Night Fury is the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself - and assuming that by lightning, the legend means the Skrill - then what other dragon would there have had to be in order to create the Night Fury?"

Her tone was deadly serious. They all looked at her. She was implying that the Black Moon dragon is the ancestor of the Night Fury? They were all shocked, and Fishlegs looked amazed at this theory.

Before anyone could react, Shadow stood up and left.

Hiccup and Astrid were the first ones to break out of the trance, and the two of them decided to go and look for her. She was a guest on Berk and needed a place to stay while she was here, so they had to go and find her. After they left, the others looked towards each other. "Does anyone else think that its weird that we found her the day after the supposed disappearance of that dragon?" asked Ruffnut.

"For once I agree with you sister. It is indeed strange." Said Tuff.

"Are you saying that she has something to do with the Black Moon dragon?" asked Fishlegs.

"I still think she made it up by the way. But its too much of a coincidence isn't it. We looked everywhere and found nothing, not even footprints or burn marks. But what we do find is a strange girl covered in blood in the cove. Strange isn't it?" said Snotlout.

They all agreed. It was too weird. Ruffnut asked the boys "What do we do though? She barely answers questions. How else are we going to find out whats with her and that dragon?"

Fishlegs was the first to reply with an idea. "Why don't we check out the cove again tomorrow for clues? We might have missed something important." The teens nodded in agreement. "What about Hiccup and Astrid?" asked Tuffnut.

"We'll leave them here in the morning and check it out for ourselves. Maybe they can get some more information out of her." Snotlout suggested. So far it seemed like a decent plan.

They would go out the next morning and see what they could find.


	4. how did we miss that?

The Zippleback, Monstrous Nightmare and Gronkle flew over the treetops towards the Cove at Raven Point. It was just after breakfast so the sun was still on the rise. They were _supposed to_ be cleaning the academy under Hiccup's orders, but they had all run off the moment his back was turned. They promised themselves they would clean it. Eventually. The flight took no time at all and soon they were circling down to the ground next to the lake.

"What are we supposed to be looking for again?" asked Snotlout.

"Look for clues that a dragon has been here recently. Footprints, scorch marks, food remains…" trailed Fishlegs.

"Uh, what about shed scales?" asked one of the twins.

"Yea, that too. Wait. Did you find something?" he asked. "We found a whole lot of somethings."

They all walked over to one of the caves in the cove where a small camp had apparently been set up. They found a pile of dead fish by a fire pit, probably a day old, a nest of grass and leaves big enough for a Night Fury to lounge around in, and black scales everywhere.

The twins were holding a handful each and showing them. One thing was certain, they weren't Night Fury scales. There were probably hundreds there or all different sizes, enough to cover an entire dragon.

"That amount of scales could make Toothless a full body cover." Gasped Fishlegs as he inspected one. "Forget that, this many could make Hookfang a blanket." Said Snotlout as he stared at the twins full hands.

"By the amount we can see here, a dragon must have shed its whole body, but what confuses me is the fact that shedding takes up to a week and a half. There isn't any other signs of activity, just this newly set up camp. From what I can gather, all this was only built a day, maybe a day and a half ago. And if a dragon was inhabiting this space there should be more footprints and signs of life." Said Fishlegs.

He was by far one of the best at discovering things about the habitats and nests of dragons. He could draw accurate conclusions of abandoned camps very quickly.

"Well, how come there are so many scales if a dragon couldn't have been here for more than a day?" asked Ruffnut. She was currently trying to string together a few of the scales into a necklace with some string she had.

"I don't know, what if it was carrying them all with it. Like it was collecting them." Said Tuffnut. He had three scales in each hand sticking out between the gaps in his fingers as he made a fist. He seemed to think the scales were sharp enough to be a weapon of some sort.

"Can a dragon shed all of its scales in one night?"

"I don't believe that's possible, and even if it somehow did, it could cause the dragon to bleed a lot." Said Fishlegs to Snotlouts question.

"You mean like that?"

They looked up at Tuff, who was pointing to a large puddle of drying blood on the ground amongst the scales. Fishlegs gasped in shock and then realisation.

"That's exactly where Shadow was laying on the ground when we found her. Why would she be surrounded by dragon scales covered in blood? This doesn't make any sense." He thought out loud.

"Ok ok. Let me see if I can figure this thing out." Sid Tuffnut, holding his hands in the air. "This strange new dragon flew here from Thor knows where, makes itself a camp, starts screaming its lungs out after midnight, sheds all of its scales at once, it disappears, and when we show up the next day, we find a strange, wild, hostile girl in a pool of blood right in the middle of all this weirdness."

"Yea that seems about right." Said Ruffnut, stringing her new necklace around her neck. "It makes no sense at all, yet makes the most sense too. Weird how the world works isn't it?"

The three of them hummed in agreement. Then Fishlegs spoke up again. "We need to tell Hiccup about this. Right now. That girl is hiding something and we need to figure out what it is."

"Should we confront Shadow about all this?" asked Ruffnut. "Maybe its possible that we can catch her in a hospitable mood and she can tell us what in Thor's name happened."

Snotlout scoffed. "I highly doubt that."

"We wont mention anything to Shadow about what we found. But we will tell Hiccup. Maybe he can try to get answers out of her, and he can confine with us about what she says, so we can see if the stories and evidence matches. If they don't then we will know if she's lying." Said Fishlegs as he thought.

"Lets get back to Hiccup."


	5. destruction in its wake

Hiccup was not having the best time. Fishlegs, Snotlout, Ruffnut and Tuffnut had apparently flown off some time in the morning and left him and Astrid to deal with Shadow.

Said girl was not being very cooperative. They had been trying to learn about her, or at least the dragon that she knew of, but it was no use. She wasn't a big fan of talking. They had given her the grand tour of Berk, although it wasn't really that grand, so now there wasn't that much for them to do with her. She liked being up high they found, and near the edge of cliffs. And she didn't like any other dragon in the village. Terrible terrors wouldn't even go near her, and all the other dragons feared her. Hiccup still didn't know why. She didn't even appear to try and be scary.

The only dragon willing to stand up to her was Toothless, which had lead to quite a few stare downs. She paraded around the Night Fury as if she had won those little 'fights', but the only reason she did was because he broke Toothless' focus.

This girl was such a mystery, and frankly, kind of annoying to deal with. If he were honest, it was easier to convince Snotlout to clean. She didn't like being asked anything and was incredibly closed off.

Astrid suggested that she may have had a tough life, or something had happened to make her like that.

He was just about to attempt to talk to her again when Stoick the Vast ran into the academy looking for him. Instantly, he and Astrid were on alert.

"Hiccup, ships have been spotted heading towards us. They are severely damaged, but its Dagur's fleet." He said.

"What!" they both cried.

"As strange as it sounds, they appear to be waving a white flag at us. I recon they need help. I want you and Astrid to fly over there with your dragons and find out whats going on before I let them anywhere near Berk." He said.

Within moments, the two of them were mounted on their dragons and heading towards the gate. Shadow appeared to have come down from her perch and was heading there with them. Once they were out, Shadow ran towards to docks, while they took to the skies.

The fleet came into view and Hiccup was shocked at what he saw. There were only three ships, and they were badly damaged. So damaged that one big wave would end them. The Berserkers were struggling to sail the boat and keep it afloat at the same time. Dagur was barking orders and trying to get them to the dock. He looked up at the two riders as they came close. No one raised a weapon.

"Hiccup." He sneered. "How nice to see you again." Hiccup could tell it wasn't.

"Dagur, what happened here?" he asked. "We were attacked by a dragon. A single bloody dragon! It first attacked us back home at our village, then again after we assembled the fleet to hunt it down." Toothless and Stormfly weren't happy that he was hunting another dragon.

"As much as I absolutely hate to admit it, we need some help. Our remaining ships won't make it for much longer and we were too far from home. Berk was the closest place to make repairs." He sounded so defeated at asking his enemy for help. After a brief discussion, and Hiccup insisting that once they docked, that they would hand over all of their weapons, they escorted the damaged fleet to Berks docks. Stoick was there waiting.

"Dad, their fleet was attacked by a rogue dragon and they were in desperate need of repairs. We've organised a truce to they can fix their ships. Dagur has sworn that he won't attack anyone." Stoick nodded and went to speak to the Berserker chief himself about the arrangement. Hiccup and Astrid followed, as well as Shadow who had been waiting there for a while, to hear a detailed report of the attacks.

"That beast just came out of nowhere, it swooped overhead of our village and attacked for no reason. It didn't try to take any food or anything. It was hell-bent on our destruction. We assembled the fleet to hunt it down after it started flying off, but after a few hours of sailing after it, it must have realised we were too far away for reinforcements. It dive-bombed our fleet and destroyed almost every one of our ships in minutes. We don't even know what kind of dragon it was. I'll be honest Hiccup, I thought it was you and your Night Fury attacking us, killing our people in cold blood. But we realised that it wasn't a Night Fury at all, it was bigger, much bigger, and it had no rider. It burned down the village with fire, not those weird purple plasma balls." He said to them.

Hiccup's mind was swimming with crazy thoughts. He believed that it was the Black Moon dragon that attacked Dagur. But he wasn't fully sure.

"I think I know of this dragon actually. Its not one of ours but we know of it. Can you give us a good description of it?" he asked.

Dagur looked slightly confused but didn't press. "It was covered in black scales, hence why we thought it was a Night Fury, but it was too big. As I said, it could shoot fire, but it also shot lightning as well. Once it started attacking the fleet we discovered that it could fire lightning like the skrill can. But it didn't redirect it or anything. Oh, it also had silver scales on its wings as well, making it hard to see against the night sky, as well as silver glowing eyes."

Hiccup and Astrid looked at each other, they knew it was the Black Moon dragon.

Astrid saw Shadow out of the corner of her eye, she was scowling and backing away. She had no idea what she was doing, but it seemed that she didn't like hearing about the Black Moon Dragon hunting the people of another village.

Shadow retreated back up to the main part of the village much like a dragon; dangerous even in retreat. Hiccup and Dagur continued speaking, and supprisingly the Berserker chief was being civil, but after a while the two of them left while Dagur went to help with repairs.

After going back to the village, they realised that Shadow had gone missing. She wasn't at the academy, or the blacksmith shop, or the great hall. They had just finished checking the last place on that list when they spotted her. From their vantage point on the foot of the mountain where the entrance to the great hall was, they could see the dark and mysterious girl sitting comfortably on the roof of Hiccups house.

Confused and curious, they walked over to her.

"Uh, Shadow? Are you alright?" asked Hiccup. She looked down at him from her spot on the roof, but made no comment. Hiccup turned to Astrid. "And idea on what to do?"

She thought for a moment. "Why don't you climb on the roof and try to talk to her?" she suggested. He shrugged and attempted to climb up. Astrid gave him a boost. Eventually, he made it right up to the top of his house, perched precariously on the shingles.

"Whats wrong?" he asked her. She turned her gaze to him and sighed quietly. "Its not a killer." She whispered. "It doesn't know what its doing when its in that state." She said. She spoke softly and Hiccup had to lean closer to hear.

"When the new moon approaches, it becomes volatile. Unpredictable. Out of control. Like it has little control over its own mind, and it can go into a frenzy." She looked away from his piercing green eyes. "It takes no pleasure in killing in its normal state. But when its like that, it sees everything as a threat. The end of the lunar cycle causes this."

Hiccup didn't know why she seemed so saddened at this information. She had gone so miserable as she told him of the Black Moon dragons' antics. Almost as if she had seen it happen herself.

He looked up and saw the rest of his friends returning from wherever they had been, and they were calling out to him. "I'm sorry, I need to see whats up with them. Do you want to come down? Maybe a walk in the forest will make you feel better." He suggested. She glared at him, but it was soft and in a way, friendly. She nodded and helped guide him back down to the ground, before jumping the whole distance and landing lightly on her feet.

Hiccup, Astrid and now Shadow walked over to the other teens. They ran over to him with wide eyes.

"Hiccup, you would not believe what we found." Cried Fishlegs. "We found an entire camp set up in the cove. But that's not all. We found these." He held out his hand, showing three of the larger scales he had collected. Hiccups eyes went wide at the sheer size of them. They were roughly five centimetres wide and ten centimetres long and tapered into a sharp point at one end. Not even Toothless's scales were that big when he shed, or Hookfang for that matter.

"What in Thor's name?" he exclaimed. Fishlegs went back to talking. "We found what must have been thousands of these, all different sizes. These were some of the biggest. By my calculations, there must have been enough there to cover an entire dragon, one as large as Hookfang."

Shadow looked horrified at the sight of the scales. Fishlegs continued talking. "There were so many there. But the funny thing is, there could only be a days' worth of activity around this 'camp', definitely not long enough for a dragon to shed that many scales. There is no way that's possible without resulting in huge amounts of injuries. And we found blood too. It was almost as if the dragon was bleeding all over its body."

"But no sign of the dragon, no way to tell where it went, it just disappeared." Finished Snotlout. Everyone looked confused at the mystery, all except for Shadow who looked very uncomfortable. Very carefully, she began to back away. Hiccup noticed her movements, but gave no indication that he did. He wanted to see what she would do, where she would go.

Everyone continued talking, learning all this new information - about the camp, and about Dagur – while the shady girl snuck away into the forest.

 **hey, thankyou all for reading my fanfic this far. Ive been wanting to do a story like this for a while, but had a few things that were a greater priority. I'd love it if you would leave a review, it helps with my motivation and makes me feel good. the more reviews, the faster I update. I'd like to hear what you think of it so far, and any little ideas that might be a help.**

 **I'll update again soon. :)**


	6. friendships and forest walks

Shadow slunk through the darkened forest away from the village. This wasn't good. She was sure they were onto her. She was foolish and reckless and let them know too much. Perhaps it was time to get away.

She lent up against a large tree and sighed. There was no way she could leave. The docks were guarded so she couldn't steal a boat, not to mention the newcomer and his crew were there too; Dagur, she believed the teens called him.

And there was no way for her to fly away either. She had no wings of her own, and no dragon would ever let her onto their back.

She was stuck here. Until the new moon came again and the great black beast returned.

She sighed again. They were close to figuring it out, too close. She feared that she wouldn't live to see the next new moon. Maybe not even until the glorious full moon.

Her ears perked up at the sounds of someone moving through the bush. It was only small, whatever it was, and didn't make much noise. But it was getting closer.

Her nostrils flared and she focused her hearing. It was only Hiccup. He soon came out of the bushes from a few meters behind her as he finally caught up.

"Shadow, there you are. I was worried." He said to her. "What happened back there? You looked frightened."

Despite his questions that she didn't wish to answer, she was secretly glad he followed her into the forest. She had never had a friend who cared enough to follow her. She was starting to seriously think of him as a friend, after all the time he spent trying to get her to open up. Every time he pried into her life, it was always with concern and curiosity; and without any malicious intent in his eyes.

"I- I don't feel comfortable talking right now. Its just- everything is going just a bit too fast for me to deal with." She said to him.

He nodded in understanding. "Well, would you like to go for a walk to clear your mind?"

Shadow thought for a moment and nodded. The two of them walked off through the shadowy forest, enjoying the scenery and smells of the clean, fresh air. Neither of them spoke while they walked. Hiccup knew she was a very closed off person, and promised himself that he wouldn't pry too much, and hoping that she would open up to him in time.

They walked between the towering trees, and around large moss covered boulders. Something got caught around Shadow's feet and she stumbled. Hiccup grabbed her arm gently to prevent her falling, but let go of her quickly before she could protest. Shadow saw it was a rope that nearly tripped her. On closer inspection she saw it was a bola.

"Ah, I recognise this spot. This was where I first found Toothless." Said Hiccup. Shadow looked at him quizzically. He saw her look and elaborated. "I had come out here to find him after I shot him down nearly a year ago. No one in the village believed that I shot down a Night Fury, so I went out to look for it. And, well. I found him. He was tied up in this bola, completely helpless. I tried to kill him to prove myself a Viking, but I set him free instead. I saw the look in his eyes before I could plunge my little knife in his heart. He was just as scared as I was, and I just couldn't do it. I cut him loose and he lunged at me. I thought he was going to eat me because I knocked him out of the sky. But he spared my life too and flew off."

This was the spot where it had all started. Where Hiccup spared his greatest enemy, and where the dragon didn't go for the kill. Shadow thought to herself, if members of both sides of the battle had shown mercy to each other when they were helpless at their feet, could the same be done for her and the great black beast and the Berkians?

"I'm guessing after this little misadventure, you both learned to trust one another, and it eventually led to everyone on Berk learning to coexist with dragons?" she dared to ask.

"Well," he replied. "It took a while, and they didn't accept them straight up. But we eventually found peace."

With nothing more being said, the two of them kept walking through the trees. Hiccup lead her towards the cove so they could have a rest. They walked between the boulders that made the entrance to the cove, and went own towards the water.

After splashing some water on his face, Hiccup went to find the 'camp' that the other teens had told him about. Shadow followed him.

They both saw the hundreds of black, sharp scales littered all over the ground, and the bloodstains in the grass. Shadow wrapped her arms around herself, trying to draw inside herself to avoid Hiccups questions. He just continued to inspect the area.

Eventually, he turned to her. He knew that she was hiding something, but she looked so guilty and horrible that he felt really bad that he had to ask.

"Shadow. I know that you have something to do with this. The Black Moon dragon. I know that there is some connection between you and it, and I'd like you to tell me what it is… but I want you to tell me when you are ready. When you are comfortable." He said softy.

Shadow couldn't help but collapse on the ground and cry, no one had ever been so kind to her. Those who wanted information out of her usually demanded it, and tortured her for it. No one had ever shown her kindness, and she didn't know how to deal with it. The tears just flowed without her consent.

"No- no one has ever shown me this much kindness. How can you be so kind to me?" she cried.

Hiccup went over to her and crouched in front of her, he carefully put a hand on her shoulder. "Shadow, you are a friend of mine, and I couldn't force you to do anything you don't want you to. Please, just know that I'm here. You might not have been here long, but you are already a friend. And as much as I'd like to know about you and the dragon, I'd rather see you happy and open towards us." He said to her calmly. Shadow was calming down from her fit of tears. She took a few breaths before speaking.

"By now Hiccup, I can't deny it. There _is_ a connection between me and that dragon. Where it goes, I follow. I'm cursed to follow it for the rest of my life. We are connected." She whispered.

Hiccup's mind was flowing with thoughts and unanswered questions, but for her sake, he didn't ask. She would tell him when she was ready. He wouldn't pressure her about the connection.

The two of them sat together on the ground, making small talk or just sitting in silence. After a while, the two went to inspect the camp again and get rid of the dead, and smelly, fish left behind. The wind blew around them making them shiver. Hiccup wasn't affected so much, but he could see Shadow was shivering. He leggings, boots and cloak wasn't doing much for the cold. He mentally facepalmed himself.

He decided that she needed to get some more, and warmer clothes. An idea popped into his head. Maybe she would open up to him more if he made her a set of armour. He thought it might put him in her good books and they would get along better. Not only that, but he wanted to test out something, and decided she should be the first one to benefit.

He bent down and grabbed as many of the shed scales as he could and arranged them on the ground. With his new idea taking shape, he told his idea to Shadow.

She looked shocked at first, but then her face lightened up at the prospect.

As the sun began to head towards the west, they grabbed as many scales as they could and returned back to the village, their friendship growing stronger. Shadow felt like she might actually be happy for once in her life. And for once, had someone that she could safely call 'friend'.


	7. fighting the great beast

Hiccup and Shadow had a very peaceful walk back to the village, and as soon as the blacksmith shop was in sight, Shadow could practically sense the excitement from him. They quickly made their way over and found a place to put all the scales they had collected.

Shadow was quite surprised when he suggested the idea to her; using the shed scales of dragons to create fire proof armour. After all, it wasn't a bad idea, dragon scales were incredibly tough, nearly impenetrable, and indeed fireproof. She was more shocked at the fact that he wanted to give her the first ever set of armour infused with dragon scales.

She suspected it was to get her to open up to him and like him more. And frankly, it was kind of working. No one had ever shown her so much kindness, yet alone offered to help make her own set of armour. She just couldn't help but feel happy around Hiccup. He was very nice to her – despite how cold and closed off she had been when they first found her.

Hiccup came out of the back room in the forge, his arms laden with large pieces of leather, paper, charcoal, iron pieces and all sorts of tools. He plopped down all the bits and pieces down on the table and got to work designing the armour for her.

Shadow helped with imputing her ideas, and helping change what he was designing to better suit her needs, until eventually they had their final design.

They were both excited to get started on making the armour. While they worked, they casually spoke to one another. Hiccup was starting to think she was really opening up. He realised that if he got her talking about something that she really liked, she would speak of grand adventures that she had been on.

She spoke to him of grand and wondrous places south of the barbaric archipelago which no one ever knew about. She told him about all the languages she learned to speak on her travels, of all the different and diverse cultures, and of the different kinds of people she had met face to face.

Hiccup had to admit, she told better stories than trader Johan. He absorbed all the stories and information she told him, staring in awe at her glowing silver eyes, filled with wonder. They didn't even realise how long they had been working until Astrid came and found them the next morning.

"Hiccup? Are you in here? My god Hiccup, did you pull another all-nighter trying to finish another project?" She said.

Hiccup's yawn and goofy lopsided smile confirmed what she said. She sighed at his antics but was intrigued either way. She went inside the forge to see what he was working on. Astrid was surprised when she saw Shadow inside as well, working away at the finishing touches on a new set of armour.

"Wow, Hiccup. That looks amazing. What exactly did you make it out of to get that kind of look to it?" she asked when she saw the armour.

Hiccup smiled and laughed quietly to himself. "Shadow and I were working on it all last night. We made it out of the shed scales of the Black Moon dragon that we collected from the cove." He said. Astrid picked up one of the pieces to get a better look at it.

She held up the chest plate and saw that it was covered in the sharp, black scales. All woven and interlocking beautifully over top of the leather, looking almost like the skin of a dragon. It had a low V neck at the front, and medium length sleaves with scaled shoulder guards. Astrid looked at the other piece left on the table. It was a two piece layered skirt, designed similarly to hers. One part was covered in black scales, high on the right hip, but low on the left, and the other side was mirrored, but covered in silver scales.

it was overall a beautiful, dark set of armour. She looked over at Shadow who was hiding back in the shadows. "You helped make this?" asked Astrid. Shadow nodded shyly.

"Wow, this is awesome." She said with a smile. "Go on then, put it on. I want to see what it looks like on you." She said excitedly. Shadow looked surprised for a second, but then smiled and took the armour into the back room to try it on.

When she had left, Astrid turned to Hiccup.

"It looks like she's really opening up to you." She said. Hiccup smiled back at her. "Yea, she really just needed someone to connect to. She's become a lot more comfortable about talking. Granted, there are some things in which she is still closed off about. But I do believe she's learning to trust me more. I don't know if she will react the same way with the other teens, but I doubt it will be the same as it is with me. If I'm honest, I have to admit that she acts a lot like a dragon. The way she thinks and acts, it's a lot like Toothless did when I first got him to trust me back in the cove."

Astrid nodded in understanding. She too wanted answers about the Black Moon dragon. It was a new species, allegedly more powerful than a Night Fury, and Shadow was their only connection to it. But she agreed with Hiccup's method. As much as she was anxious to learn more, she would let Shadow open up to them first before trying to get to know about the Black Moon.

They spoke for a few more minutes, until Shadow walked out with her new Black Moon scaled armour. Hiccup smiled at her, happy that the armour was a success and suit her well, and Astrid's jaw dropped.

"Hiccup, you _have_ to make me some armour like that. It's amazing! It looks great on you Shadow."

Shadow looked away shyly. But she too was smiling. Astrid's smile turned into a smirk. "Now that you got some really good armour, how about we test it. Do you want to come down to the academy and do some sparing?" she asked. Shadow's eyes widened, but she smiled and nodded in confirmation.

Swiftly, the three of them made their way to the arena. Fishlegs, Snotlout, Ruffnut and Tuffnut were soon to arrive after them.

They were impressed with Shadow's new armour, and Hiccup's idea to make dragon scale armour, and they all made mental notes to collect their dragon's scales when they shed. But the conversations were cut short when Astrid announced that they were to be sparing with the shadowy girl.

Snotlout volunteered to go first, and opted to use his sword. Shadow was given a spare sword as well and the two stepped into the center of the arena. As they circled each other, Shadow's stance shifted. She moved from attack, to defence positions, not letting her opponent figure out what she was going to do.

Snotlout charged at her, swinging his sword at her head. She deflected with her blade and stepped out of his path, tripping him with her foot. He crashed into the dirt with a muffled cry, but stood up quickly. Snotlout kept trying to charge and hack at Shadow with his sword, but she continued to deflect and dodge with grace. She was incredibly light footed and could move swiftly. Eventually, Snotlout gave up.

Ruffnut and Tuffnut volunteered to go next. Shadow had to keep her eyes on both of them and their spears. They stayed on opposite sides of her vision, making her have to look back and forth between them. They jabbed and swung at her, but she expertly ducked and dodged. Her movements were lithe and athletic. They kept at it for a while before she tripped them and used their weapons against them.

Fishlegs was forced to fight against her next, but after watching her expertly twirl the sword in a dangerous display of professionalism and dominance, he surrendered.

But once it was Astrid's turn to fight against her, Shadow's demeanour changed. She recognised Astrid as a worthy competitor, and a fierce warrior. This was a fight she wanted to compete in, not those dances with the other fools. The others weren't worthy of her time, but she was. Something was stirring inside of her mind, and her blood raced.

Astrid was a challenger, and her blood demanded she face the challenge with the ferocity of a dragon. She felt like the great beast was clawing its way to the surface. There was a glint in her eyes that made her seem wild. She twirled the sword in her hands and held it in a ready position. Astrid did the same with her axe. She could see the glint in her eyes, and knew that Shadow meant business. Astrid could see that she was a fighter.

The signal was given for them to start, and they circled each other. Shadow was the first to react, stepping forward and striking with her sword. The action caused Astrid to react, and swing her axe at her. Shadow sidestepped and stepped into her space, slinking around her with exceptional speed. The flat side of her sword tapped Astrid on her side, signalling that she had struck, and won the fight. One point for Shadow, none for Astrid.

They went back to circling each other, Astrid keeping her eyes trained on Shadow's every movement. Shadow's breathing was deep and calm, trying to keep her raging adrenaline under control. Her nostrils flared and her lips curled back in a challenging snarl, baring her sharpened teeth.

Hiccup watched from the sidelines, absorbing every available piece of information, movements, actions and behaviour. He couldn't help but imagine how similar Shadow was to a dragon. Her behaviour was so similar, it was uncanny. She had the grace and light-footedness of a Nadder, and the ferocious glint in her eyes that resembled that of a Monstrous Nightmare.

Her attacks were swift and sharp as she darted forwards, and her blocks were strong as she deflected Astrid's axe strokes. Astrid's blood was racing, and she was getting angry at the fact that she hadn't landed a solid hit yet. She charged forward with a flurry of blows, aiming to hit her at least once.

Hiccup saw Shadow's demeanour change again. Something in her mind had snapped. Her movements became desperate as she dodged and avoided the gleaming axe, as if the deepest part of her mind had taken over and her instincts screamed at her to fight for her very survival.

Shadow's mind went into fight or flight mode, and in retaliation to the deadly attacks, she lunged at Astrid and knocked her to the ground. Inside her mind, the great black beast took control, and she pinned the shield maiden to the stone ground and twisted her arms so she couldn't move, and exposed her throat.

Astrid looked up in fear as Shadow – out of control and fighting like an animal for survival – bared her teeth and snarled at her. Those teeth, so sharp and elongated, looked like they belonged inside a dragon's maw, were poised ready to clamp down on her exposed throat.

The deadly gleam in Shadow's eyes made her fear for her life. Her silver irises practically glowed like moonlight. She didn't recognise Shadow in those eyes, no, she could only see a monster.

"Stop!"

Shadow's head snapped up to look at Hiccup who stood with his hand out towards her. She seemed to snap back to reality and realise just what she was doing – what she was about to do. Her frightened gaze dropped back to Astrid, and she leapt off her in horror.

"I- I- I'm so sorry! I d-don't know what came over me!" she stammered. She backed herself up against the wall of the arena. "I- I don't n-normally lose control at this time." She said. Her eyes went even wider, as if she had revealed a secret.

Al the teens looked at her in shock. Hiccup tried walking slowly towards her, his arm outstretched. Just like he did with Toothless all those months ago. He kept her focus on him and tried to calm her down, but she just slunk way from him.

"I'm sorry."

She bolted towards the gate.

 **hey everybody! hope you enjoyed this chapter. looks like Shadow is loosing control of herself, uh-oh. what's going to happen next I wonder. hehehe. Seems like there is quite the connection between her and the Black Moon dragon, a connection that Hiccup doesn't fully know of yet. what will he learn about her next? When will they find out about her? Only I know! bwahahahaha. lol.**

 **keep your eyes open for the next update, and tell me what you think of this chapter in a review. :)**


	8. What is hiding in the shadows?

All the teens stood frozen inside the arena. Their eyes were locked onto the last place they had seen Shadow as she ran out of the gate. Astrid was feeling the worst, having been pinned to the ground and helpless as the girl, no, the monster, was above her ready to rip her throat out with her fang like teeth.

None of them had any idea what had just happened. All they knew was Shadow had turned feral when Astrid had attacked her. Fishlegs was starting to see the connection between her and her dragon-like behavior. He didn't know what to think of it. He had never seen someone act like that, neither had anyone else, and he was frightened of it.

Who knew what she had been through in her life to make her act like that? Hiccup was wondering how it all went wrong so fast. They had such a great time earlier but it had all disappeared as soon as she fought with Astrid.

It seemed like he was back at square one. He desperately wanted to know more about her, as well as her connection to the Black Moon dragon. And what did she mean when she said 'I don't normally lose control at this time.'?

Things were getting stranger, and more dangerous.

"Okay then… what just happened?" asked Tuffnut.

"Uh, it seems that Shadow kind of went… feral." Answered Fishlegs. "I've never seen anything like that happen before."

"That was incredibly weird." Said Ruffnut. Snotlout spoke up and said, "Sure, if by weird you mean terrifying!" he cried.

Hiccup ran his hand through his hair. "I don't understand it. We had such a great time just hours ago, she was really starting to open up. I don't know what could have caused that reaction…" his voice trailed off as if he was considering something. Fishlegs noticed his thoughtful look. "Hiccup? Did you learn something from her, something that could explain this?" he asked curiously.

"Yea, I did. Yesterday, after you guys had shown us the scales, she ran off into the forest. I followed her to see where she went and when I finally caught up to her she said that she couldn't deny it any longer. That there is a connection between her and the dragon. She said 'where it goes, I follow', and that she is cursed to follow it for the rest of her life." He said.

The others looked confused. What did she mean? What sort of connection? Then Tuffnut had to go and open his mouth with a stupid suggestion. "Hey, what if she means that her and the dragon are connected through their brains. Like, how cool would that be? Imagine if she could see into the dragon's mind!"

Astrid facepalmed. Ruffnut whacked him in the head. "Idiot. How in Thor's name would that be possible?"

Surprisingly, Fishlegs butted in. "Maybe your right you guys. Perhaps both of you. I know this sounds incredibly crazy – just hear me out – but what if Shadow and the Black Moon dragon are connected mentally because of the God's interference?"

As crazy as it sounded, it sort of made sense. Although, Hiccup had a very hard time believing it. He wasn't one who believed in curses and godly interference's. In fact, even for a Viking, he wasn't overly religious.

"We should go out and find her." He said. "I'm starting to think that we may have to start forcing out some answers, otherwise we won't know what we are facing if this gets any worse. We need some more definite answers from her, now."

Hiccup felt conflicted. He was sure that Shadow was opening up to them, to him, but after that fight with Astrid, it seemed that there was so much more to her than she had told him. And whatever she was hiding, was dangerous to all of them.

He wanted answers. Hiccup gave the order for them to get their dragons and go out searching. They followed the command and saddled up, then went out to search for her.

…

Well, after all that time they spent searching, they found out that Shadow was just as shady and good at concealment as a phantom, and could hide incredibly well in her namesake.

It was past dinner time by now, and they still hadn't found her. They had even scoured the entire forest – they looked there first – but there wasn't hide nor hair of her. The sun had set an hour ago, and there was no sign of her, but they assumed that after their forest search yielded no results, that she must be hiding in the village. They all decided to split up and look for her on the ground.

Unbeknownst to them, Shadow had been hiding in the armory. She was certain now that after her little 'loss of control' that they would kick her out. Send her away. Punish her for attempting to harm one of their own. Or even try to execute her.

It had happened before, many times. She should have known better than to open herself up to humans. Tell them about the great black beast. Her connection to it.

She was truly a fool. Well, no more. She had to get away, before they did something to her. Just like all those others tried to do. She wouldn't let them try and hurt her, or put her head on the chopping block.

So there she crouched, behind one of the back walls inside the armory, trying to calm her mind.

She still didn't have an escape. There wasn't a way off the island that she could take. Dagur and his men were still at the docks – and frankly, she never wanted to see him again, or let him see her glowing silver eyes – and anyone that could find her would surely turn her over.

She needed the Black Moon dragon to come to her rescue. It had to. She knew of a technique, one far older than the elders of her kind, that could help her now. But she had never attempted it before. She was never strong enough before to even try. But now she might have a chance.

It had been hours since she ran off, and she was almost certain that the dragon riders had given up on finding her. So now she could have a good chance at attempting this.

She calmed her breathing and knelt on her hands and knees. She kept her mind clear of all thoughts and distractions, and evened out her heartbeat. Deep inside her conscious she could sense the dragon's presence. She clung onto it now and drew strength from it. Steeling herself, she forced it to take over her body.

The dragon inside her realized what she was doing and struggled to burst free. It sent massive jolts of pain through her body, and she clamped shut her fanged mouth to keep from crying out.

She had to be extremely careful with this procedure, or it could disfigure her for life. She focused on the parts that she needed the most. In her haste and longing for a quick escape, she only needed the wings and the tail. The huge claws and horns she could go without for now. And she already had scales to cover her.

Her body convulsed as the great beast fought to burst forth to the surface, and Shadow had to submit to the blinding pain she was experiencing. She couldn't afford to scream – it had given her away before – for fear that she would be discovered, and in this state, she would surely be killed.

She could feel new limbs growing and bones forming, and her mouth opened in a silent scream. Gods it was so painful. But she kept going. She could not stop.

Her head felt dizzy and her body felt heavy as she swayed on her hands and knees. She began to topple over as the process was nearly complete.

A rack of swords fell to the ground with a loud clatter that made her cringe. She had unknowingly bumped into it. She shook her head to clear it, she had to be ready to move fast. Just a few more moments and she would be ready.

"Hello? Shadow, are you in here?" called Snotlout.

 _Shit! Not now. Not while I'm so close._

There was too much light in the armoury, and he would surely see her and call for backup. She needed more shadows to hide. A torch was mounted on a wall right next to her, and she flicked her tail towards it to put the traitorous flame out. The room was cast into darkness, but Snotlout definitely noticed.

She ran for the closest window before he could react, running on four legs like an animal. He screamed in fear at the sudden movement, but he didn't see her. He ran outside to see where that strange _thing_ went.

It had disappeared into the night.

 **hehehe, things are starting to get very interesting. this little escapade doesn't end here, in fact i got a big plan for all this. As she tries to escape, who will she find? will anyone see her? dun dun duuuuuun! hehehe. I really wana see some reviews, tell me what you think and where you recon this might go. come on people, the more reviews i get, the happier ill be and the faster I update. :)**


	9. transformations are taxing

Shadow was breathing hard at the extra effort it took to run with wings and a tail. They were exceptionally heavy and awkward to use in human form. Her wings kept bumping into things hidden in the dark, and her tail twitched uncontrollably as she got used to the feeling.

She could _not_ be seen in this state. If she was, she would most likely be executed on sight. The teens were still looking for her it seemed. Snotlout had found her hiding in the armory, and she had barely managed to dodge the twins and their Zippleback.

She should have realized sooner, she should have realized that she didn't have enough strength. But she was a desperate fool, and got herself into this situation. She longed for the full moon and the strength it gave her, but it was too early in the cycle. The crescent moon mocked her as it smiled in the night sky.

She didn't have enough strength. Actually, she did, but just enough to make the transformation. But not enough strength to sustain flight. She could have hit her head on a wall, but she didn't have time. She had to hide.

 _Stupid. Stupid. Stupid!_

Her wings were fully developed, and correctly in proportion to her body, but the joints and muscles in her shoulder blades were nowhere near strong enough to lift her off the ground. She doubted she could even fully extend her wings.

And her tail dragged behind her like a dead weight.

What was that saying that she had heard long ago? 'It's the wings and the tails you really want.' Yes, that was it. How ironic, she had both, but they were non-functioning.

She was as flightless as an ostrich. (She had once seen an ostrich race on a trip to some southern country) how pitiful.

She briefly wondered what kind of price the Berkians would sell her for. She suspected her wings would fetch a high price, and from a creature so exotic too.

She huffed.

Sounds echoed from nearby and she made a dash for a new hiding spot. It was those infernal twins again, and that Zippleback they called Barf and Belch. Shadow sensed the dragons unease. She climbed on top of the house she was hiding next to and waited for them to come.

They had no idea it was her stalking them, maybe they would mistake her for a wild dragon. The twins approached carrying lanterns as they looked around. Their dragon followed a few meters behind them. Perhaps she could scare them off, she wondered.

Shadow growled lowly in her throat, catching their attention. They could not see her full form, or recognise her at all, but they did notice the glowing eyes and extended wings and threatening stance. For effect, Shadow roared and snarled.

The twins ran in fear crying "Wild dragon!" into the night. The Zippleback roared in response, but her snarling sent it packing. Before it could come back after her, she disappeared again and doubled over her path to confuse them.

She never stayed still in one spot for long. And she deliberately went over her tracks in different directions to throw them off her scent. Shadow managed to stay hidden for another hour. But unfortunately her fortune was not to last. The transformation had taken a massive toll on her body, and she ached everywhere. She needed to rest, but she couldn't. Not like this. Not here. Not while they were after her.

Taking a risk, she settled into a very dark alleyway. Well, it was more like the gap between two houses. Soon after she settled down to rest for a moment, Fishlegs rounded the bend looking for her. Instantly she was back on her feet and backing into the corner, her winds clanking against whatever was in this ally and making unwanted noise. Fishlegs and Meatlug had found her, and she was trapped.

"Stay away!" she hissed. Meatlug growled in defence and protected her rider. Fishlegs froze in fear. Shadow was glad that the darkness concealed her new form.

"Sh-Shadow?" he stammered. A hiss wad her only response. Meatlug made a threat that he didn't understand, but she did. She was trapped and couldn't run. The Gronkle would prevent her escape if she tried to make it over the wall trapping her from behind.

"Why are you out here and hiding? Astrid isn't mad at you and already forgives y-"

"I said stay back!" she growled. She couldn't let him get close enough to see her. "Come any closer to me and I will end your life." She whispered with murderous intent. His face went white.

There was no way she could survive in this situation for long, eventually she would be seen, and then she would be without a head. She had to revert back to completely human, now.

"Shadow, I know that things are a little tense right now, but Hiccup's getting worried. He wants to know what's going on with you."

Shadow had to keep his attention on her so he didn't go and find the others, but she couldn't let him see her until she had transformed back into human form.

"Shadow, we need to know. What caused you to attack Astrid like that?" he asked.

There was no sense in delaying the inevitable she thought. Carefully and precisely she began to revert back to human form, intentionally slowing the process to not alert him. She struggled to keep her voice level.

"I told him before… I am cursed to follow the great black beast until the day I die… where it goes I follow… this is the curse I bare."

Her tail began to shrink back into her body and the membrane of her wings seemed to retract into her.

"What do you mean 'curse'?" he asked. The process was immensely painful, and she was only prolonging her suffering by dragging out the process. It felt like white hot fire was tearing apart the appendages.

"The mental… and physical bond… goes both ways. Its instincts become mine…" she said, her voice straining.

Fishlegs looked confused and intrigued. He had no idea what she was talking about, the whole situation being quite strange. Shadow could feel the bones in her back breaking as they morphed into her human form and she gasped in pain and stumbled. Fishlegs became increasingly concerned and made a move to help her, but she hissed at him to stay away. Meatlug still wasn't happy with the sounds she was making, nor her scent.

"I told you to stay back!" he cried just as another spasm wracked her body. Spots all over her vision kept popping up, making it harder to see.

"You don't know… What its like… to have to deal with this curse…" she panted. "The Black Moon… it is powerful… Far greater than that Night Fury… which makes its power, harder to bare." The transformation was almost complete, but she was swaying and couldn't stand up straight. Just a little bit longer.

She could feel something wet and sticky dripping down her back. She wiped at it and looked at her hand, covered in crimson red blood. Ah, yes. She forgot. Every time she transformed, it left injuries. She was a fool to forget.

The world around her started spinning and she couldn't stay standing on her feet. All of a sudden, Fishlegs seemed to be standing on the side of the world. Her head throbbed painfully as she hit the ground.

Faintly, she could hear the sounds of Fishlegs terrified wails, and the sound of beating wings.

 **hehehe. well thats the end of that little adventure. told you I wanted to make a bit of a show of it. this was just a little 'incident', when the big reveal comes it will be much greater. anyway, leave a review! I love it when you do, it makes me very happy. :)**


	10. How to hide a big black dragon

_Stupid stupid stupid! You're a fool. An absolute fool!_

These words repeated themselves over and over in her head as Shadow lay unconscious. Her mind creamed at her because of her stupidity. How had she not realised that despite the transformation, her wings would not be strong enough to fly her away? The memory of the deadweight limbs pained her.

 _Stupid. Stupid. Stupid._

She could hear voices nearby, muffled by the confines of whatever room she was in, and her fuzzy hearing. Her body was incredibly stiff, caused mostly by the bandages wrapped around her body. She cracked her eyes opened and hissed.

The light was heaps too bright. She was mostly used to working in darkness, and it hurt her eyes to look at bright things for long.

The muffled voices were becoming clearer, but she still couldn't make out words. But she recognised the voice of Hiccup, Astrid and Fishlegs. They must have been talking about her.

Shadow hoped that they hadn't found out about what she could do. What she was. If they had, they could have been planning for her execution. Wonderful.

A door opened somewhere, and she heard someone walk in. Shadow forced herself up to look her aggressor in the eye, but saw no one. Looking down, she realised the healer, Gothi, stood before her.

She did not look pleased.

Dealing with elders was nothing new, however at this point she had no respect for the tiny old lady. She huffed at her to show dominance. The elder wasn't going to get any respect unless it was earned. That's how it worked.

Gothi glared at her and tapped her foot on the ground. The little old lady was definitely not happy with her. The elderly healer had been woken up in the middle of the night by a group of annoying – and loud – teenagers, carrying an unconscious and bloodied girl with them.

Gothi had a hard night.

And she was not appreciating the glare and slight snarl her patient was giving her.

Gothi grabbed her staff and swiftly bonked her on the head. Shadow cried out and rubbed her head. "What was that for?" she demanded. Still glaring, the elder used her staff to scratch drawings and scribbles on the ground.

Shadow was at a mind blank. "I can't read this. Wouldn't it make sense to have a translator?" her head shook. "Then how we communicate back and forth? I only know sign language as a way to communicate with people who cant talk. And I doubt you know of it."

To her surprise, the elder started signing away in front of her face.

 _'Of course I know sign language. As one who doesn't speak, I need some way of communicating.'_

She was rusty and slow at signing to her – her primary way of 'talking' was using her scribbles – but Shadow could still understand her.

"Well then. With that issue out of the way, why the hell did you whack me with your stick?" she hissed.

 _'You growled at me, that's reason enough.'_

Shadow huffed. In her culture, respect was always earned. Everyone started out on the same level, and they earned their way to the top in levels of respect. In her eyes, the tiny elder hadn't done anything to earn respect yet. But she couldn't dwell on that now, Gothi was signing again.

 _'I hope you understand how much work I had to do for you. Those teens wanted to see what was wrong with you and hang around while I stitched you back up. It was a hard task keeping them away, especially since you were bleeding out at the same time.'_

Shadow blinked a few times. Curiously, she rolled her shoulders and moved her back muscles, and sure enough, she could feel movement of torn and bleeding muscles right were her shoulder blades were. And there was something else too.

 _'Now why don't you start explaining to me why there are black scales sprouting from your back, and why I could find a small pair of horns hidden under your hairline'_

Shadow froze under the elder's gaze. This was it, she was caught. She was done for. She could try and run, but she felt too weak – most likely from both her transformations and the blood loss – not to mention Gothi kept that stick of hers within easy reach and whacking distance. Perhaps it was time she gave up. There was only so much she could do before wanting to stop.

She sighed. "Alright. You got me. That Black Moon dragon that showed up about a week ago, it's me. I am the Black Moon dragon. The curse I bare subjects me to take on two forms that changes with the lunar cycles. I believed that I was going to be hunted for attempting to kill Astrid when I lost control, so I tried to force the transformation and escape. I reverted back to human form to try and salvage the situation because I couldn't fly away. I foolishly didn't take into consideration the moon phase and how much strength it gave me, and I was grounded." She said.

There, it was said. Gothi stepped forward and laid a hand on her knee in comfort.

 _'None of the teens know of this. They haven't seen your injuries and I haven't heard them mention any other form you may have. Its safe to say they don't know what you are. But they are onto you.'_

Shadow sighed and hung her head in relief. There was still a chance she could keep her head attached. She ran a clawed hand over her throat as horrible memories resurfaced. She didn't was to come that close to an execution ever again. But at least now she had a chance. She could still run when the time came, but this time she would have more strength.

Shadow looked back at the small elder with a plead in her eyes. "How am I going to stay hidden?" she asked. "I cannot leave until the night of the new moon, which is weeks away. And the dragon riders are onto me. I'm sure their dragons already know – but they can't tell their masters because they can't speak. If I hang around them for much longer, they are going to find out about me, and that will unleash all sorts of doom, death and destruction. What am I supposed to do until the new moon?" she asked.

Gothi thought for a few moments. An idea was starting to form. Unexpectedly, the tiny woman started walking around her hut, grabbing all sorts of jars and containers and mixing ingredients together. Shadow looked at her curiously and wrinkled her nose at the horrible smell. It was putrid. She put a hand over her mouth to stop from gagging.

Gothi looked back up at her and started explaining. _'I can help create an excuse for you to stay up here and away from the dragon riders. By intentionally making you sick, they will not have a choice but to leave you alone up here with me or risk getting sick too. This little potion will knock you out for about a week while it heals the wounds on your back and helps your body produce more blood. After you wake up you will be incredibly weak from lack of exercise and food, so you will have to stay for another couple of days. Then we will need to figure out what to do from then.'_

It seemed like a reasonable plan, although Shadow didn't like the idea of getting intentionally sick. Last time she did, she felt horrible for days. However, she couldn't ignore the fact that it sounded like a good idea. A week and a bit out of action would keep her away from curious eyes, and closer to the full moon. From that, she could gain more strength.

Although, many things could happen to her while she was out, and she would be helpless to attacks. If someone barged in and saw the remnants of the transformation – those traitorous scales growing from her back – they could kill her without her resisting.

But even now, she was in a predicament. The little old woman at her feet held her life in those frail bony hands. She felt compelled to do what the little woman suggested, as to not aggravate her into threatening to give her away.

Shadow started feeling respect towards the elder. And she wondered if she intentionally planned to have the dragon girl at her mercy now.

Shadow had to bide her time, and Gothi's suggestion sounded like the best one at this point. She nodded to the tiny woman and accepted the potion.

"Can you swear to me that no one will find me here? And that I won't be discovered?" She asked.

Gothi smiled at her and nodded. Shadow could see no lie in her wise old eyes. She braced herself against the bed and ignored the horrible smell as she sculled the entire potion.

It tasted far worse than it smelled, but Shadow forced herself to drink it despite her wanting to throw up.

Her head started feeling heavy and her limbs were going numb, so she laid back down on the bed in the healers hut and fell asleep.

 **Woohoo! ten chapters. yay! thanks to everyone who has been following this fanfic since I started writing, your support has been great :)**

 **gimme a review on how I've been doing so far, and any ideas for the future chapters. I need to kill a lot of time in this story so I can get to the time of the new moon, where shit will really start to go down. so any ideas a valued, if I dont get any, then I will just have her knocked out for a week and Shadow help Gothi up in that hut. not really fun. but fear not, shit will go down soon, on a major scale. lol.**


	11. Hiccup's leadership issues

1 week later...

Shadow woke up feeling slow and sluggish. Her limbs felt heavy and her head felt like it weighed more than a large rock. She groaned as she tried to sit up. She saw Gothi walking around inside her hut through her lidded eyes and mumbled a greeting.

The tiny elder walked over to her and checked how she was feeling. Then she passed her a plate of fish and mutton and a flask of water. Shadow wolfed it down in record time, ignoring all flavour the meat had.

 _'I suggest you eat slower. You may have been unconscious for a week, but gorging yourself like that will make you feel worse.'_

Shadow narrowed her eyes, but listened anyway and slowed her eating.

Gothi went back to her work for a few hours and left Shadow to gather her strength to move around. After spending so long knocked out and not moving, she was glad to get up and move. However, she soon became bored. There wasn't anything to do in there while the elder worked. She wasn't knowledgeable on healing, so she couldn't help, and would only get in the way.

Eventually, she just settled for reading the books on healing that were strewn around the room. Who knew when this sort of information would be useful to her?

She had just finished one of the books, and picked up the next one wen something caught her eye. The pages inside spoke of something that made her eyes widen.

Moonstone.

Said to be worshiped by Romans and other cultures who worshiped lunar deities. And said to be made from crystallized moonlight. This made Shadow very interested. She grabbed the book and studied every word scrawled on the pages.

The legends alone were enough to make her want to find some. She thought to herself if the legends were true, or could somehow contain or channel moonlight, it could make her stronger. When Gothi came back some time later, she asked the elder everything she knew about moonstone.

 _'I haven't used Moonstone in years, and I don't have any lying around here at all. You can find it in underground caves on some of the islands around the archipelago. A lot of the cave entrances are underwater and can only be accessed by diving through channels in rivers. I wouldn't recommend going to find some, as it is very dangerous to even get there.'_

Shadow wasn't swayed by the warnings and still intended to find some moonstone in order to see if it could help her in amassing more strength. But she still had to deal with the issue of getting around. She still couldn't leave. She sighed.

"Where could I find it anyway?" She inquired.

 _'Normally, it doesn't occur in large quantities. But you could find it around Eel Island in the hidden caves under the river.'_

So a strange and distant island then. It looked like Shadow wasn't going to go and find moonstone any time soon. Well, she thought, she could just wait until the new moon for the transformation and fly over there when the timing was right. But it wasn't a major issue. She could wait, and if it somehow came around early, fantastic.

She just hopped that this moonstone could somehow benefit her.

.

.

Hiccup, Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout, Ruffnut and Tuffnut were lounging around in the academy. Well, Hiccup was trying to teach, but the others weren't exactly listening. It was just another random day, with not much really going on that would affect their lives greatly.

If they were completely honest with themselves, they were worried about Shadow. She had run off in fear after attempting to hurt Astrid, hid in the village until nightfall avoiding them all, and acted extremely hostile and mysterious when Fishlegs found her before passing out at his feet covered in blood.

They had been horrified at the sight of her body covered in blood and had no idea where the wounds had come from. Their first instinct was to get Gothi in the middle of the night and patch her up from the ghostly wounds dripping blood all over her. But Gothi had kicked them out and sent them away as soon as Shadow was brought to her, and they were told to stay away. She had been locked up in Gothi's hut for over a week. They started thinking that maybe she was dead.

Hiccup looked over at the other teens, seeing their downcast and bored faces. He could tell that they were worried about Shadow, even after all the strange, hostile and shy behavior.

He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Alright guys, I know we are all worried about Shadow, but Gothi told us to stay away. I know you all want to check on her, but we aren't allowed. So can you guys stop moping please." He pleaded.

Astrid stood up from her spot on a barrel and walked over to him. "Hiccup, we know we were told to stay away, but we can't stop worrying. We can't help it. None of us knows what happened to her or how she is right now and its making us anxious. Shes been out of sight, locked up in there for a week we don't even know if she's still alive."

"Yea Hiccup." Said Ruffnut. "despite her not being here for very long, shes part of the group, and shes hurt. The fact that we don't know whats even wrong with her is driving us up the wall with worry. This is the second time we've found her passed out and covered in blood, and we still don't know what caused it."

Fishlegs spoke up. "Ruffnut's right. We cant exactly do any work if one of our own is out of action. And yea, we still don't know whats caused her to pass out from bloodloss, and its making us worry."

Hiccup sighed again. "I know guys. Its just- we cant do anything at this point. Gothi chased us off and we cant help with her injuries anyway."

"Blah blah blah. If we are all so worried about her, why don't we just go up there and see for ourselves how shes doing? We could just sneak up there and put our heads through the window. No biggie." Said Snotlout. Everyone but Hiccup perked up at the idea.

"I don't know guys. I mean… we shouldn't go busting in to see her. What if she freaks out at seeing us? What if- hey! Where ae you guys going. No, wait. Come back!" Hiccup cried.

But it was no use. The others had already mounted their dragons and flown off through the gate.

Hiccup sighed, again. He looked at Toothless who had come and stood next to him. "Sometimes it really sucks being in charge. Especially when no one listens to you."

.

.

Hiccup mounted Toothless and directed him to follow, but they hadn't gotten very far when they noticed the teens had landed in front of the great hall.

People were milling about outside, with sniffling noses, itchy eyes and explosive sneezes. Stoick the Vast was standing outside, directing people inside while trying to talk to the dragon riders. Hiccup landed right next to the entrance.

"Dad, whats going on here?" he asked.

"The start of an outbreak of eel pox that's what. People started developing the symptoms a few days ago, and now its already bad and spreading. I've ordered everyone with eel pox to stay inside the great hall until we can get the cure. I'm hoping we can keep the healthy and sick people separated so we can still get some work done."

Hiccup cringed as a passer-by sneezed loudly.

"Is there anything we can do to help out?" he asked.

"Go over to Gothi's and tell her whats going on. We will need her to cook up the cure for this eel pox as soon as possible."

Suddenly Hiccup thought that going to Gothi's hut was a good idea. At least now it might not include them getting whacked over the head with her staff for trespassing.

Him and the dragon riders flew off as soon as they were given orders. They made it to the healers house within minutes and dismounted. They had just walked up to the hut when the door opened and Shadow stepped out.

She froze in shock seeing them there.

"Shadow! Wow, its great to see you up and about. How are you feeling?" asked Hiccup. Shadow looked slightly shy. "I'm ok. Feeling a lot better than I did." She answered.

"What are you guys up here for?" she asked them. Astrid spoke up from her spot next to Hiccup. "Outbreak of eel pox. We need Gothi for the cure. But we mainly came up here to check on you. We were so worried when we found you. You were all covered in blood, again, from all sorts of mysterious injuries. And we have been worried sick for a week while you were up here."

Tuffnut barged to the front of the group looking wary. He was feeling quite suspicious. "Where did those injuries even come from? You were dripping blood all over the place but we couldn't see any cuts or anything. So where are these mysterious injuries? Huh? And what caused them?" he said.

Shadow felt trapped, like she was being interrogated. Her chest felt tight as she was being questioned. She did the one thing she could.

"Gothi! The teens are all here! Said there's been an outbreak of eel pox in the village!"

Gothi appeared immediately in the doorframe. She did not look happy. She was not happy that the dragon riders had come and disturbed her, especially while she was in the middle of something important. And especially since they were pestering her patient. Her patient who happened to be a giant, black, fire-breathing dragon in disguise who was afraid of being captured for what she is.

But most of all, she was cranky about the fact that they had a reasonable excuse for being there and pestering Shadow.

Instead of using her staff to write scribbles in the dirt, she used her hands to sign to them, mostly from habit talking to Shadow.

They looked blankly at her moving hands as they were unable to translate. Shadow saw their confusion and translated for them.

"She says 'I thought I told you teens to stay away. Shadow and her injuries was mine to deal with and I didn't need you lot hanging around and disturbing me'."

Hiccup took a tentative step forward and spoke. "My father sent us here. There has been an outbreak of eel pox and we need to get it under control and cured as soon as possible, he sent us up here to get you and to help with getting anything you need for the cure."

The elders expression softened, but she still scowled. Beckoning Shadow back into the hut, she went to get the list of ingredients. Shadow and Gothi spoke for a few minutes while they rummaged around for the list. The elder was concerned about her being seen by them with all her cuts healed and her back to normal strength. She believed that Shadow would arouse more suspicion if she stayed up here pretending to be sick now that the teens had seen her up and about.

Shadow wasn't overly happy at the situation. But she was caught, and had to go along with it until she could create a new alibi.

Gothi grabbed the list and her staff and went outside to see them. The lot of them, with Shadow in tow, went down the mountain and to the village where they prepared to set off.

Hiccup and the gang mounted their dragons after attaching their equipment and bags to their saddles, Gothi was paired with Astrid and Shadow was put with Snotlout and Hookfang.

The Monstrous Nightmare didn't like the fact that she was to be riding with him, and expressed his dissatisfaction by puffing smoke out of his nostrils when she came near.

The others watched as she approached the dragon calm and collected, with an air of authority surrounding her. Hookfang growled at her, and she growled back in response. The two of them looked into each others eyes as she approached him. Hookfang continued to growl louder as she got closer, all the other dragon riders were watching.

Shadow's growled turned into snarls and warbles and other draconic noises, making all the other dragons freeze in shock. She continued to make the noises as she approached him, and he seemed to calm slightly, enough for her to mount the saddle behind where Snotlout would sit.

Everyone was shocked at her, not for the first time. She had never been able to get that close to one o their dragons without it roaring at her, and they certainly had never allowed her onto their back.

Snotlout got onto Hookfang and signalled that he was ready to take off.

The five dragons took off into the air towards their destination in a diamond formation.

 **ok, I was in the middle of rereading all my work, and realised that I somehow left out a big section of the chapter. well, crap. but anyway, I fixed it. hopefully.**

 **anyway, gimme a review on how its going. and thanks to everyone who has already left one. :)**


	12. outbreaks of eel pox

The dragons and their riders flew for a few hours before their destination came into view. Healers island. Hiccup signalled towards a large stretch of beach and gave the command to land. One by one they set down on the beach and dismounted. Shadow, despite being uncomfortable flying on another dragon's back, was reluctant to leave. It had been already too long since she had flown, and that flight had been exhilarating.

Hookfang however, was exceptionally happy to have her off his back. He felt disgusted that he had allowed a creature like her to ride on his back. It was degrading.

Hiccup, Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout, the twins, Gothi and Shadow gathered together as they read the list. It was a very big list, but shouldn't take them that long to get everything if they worked together and worked with their dragons. In fact, they thought that they should be done and back home before dinner time.

Hiccup directed everyone to different spots on the island in pursuit of the ingredients in the region. Within minutes, everyone was back in the air and flying off.

A few hours later, everyone was back at the same spot they landed, their saddlebags filled with all the ingredients they collected. Tuffnut was covered in bruises but no one bothered to ask him about it.

Hiccup turned to Gothi and asked if they had everything. In response, she stared scribbling in the sand. Fishlegs watched her closely as he translated.

"She says that the last ingredient isn't on Healers Island. We still need the most important ingredient. She says the last thing we need is- a bloodbane eel."

Fishlegs cringed. The dragons shuddered at the mention of eels. Hiccup sighed and said he would go and get one. He asked the elder where he could find one for the cure.

Gothi met Shadow's eyes, but continued to write in the sand. Fishlegs continued to translate. "She says the place to find a bloodbane eel is on Eel Island. West of here."

Shadow snapped her head up at the mention of the island. Instantly, she thought of the moonstone that Gothi said would be there. This was her chance to get some and see if it worked. She knew she had to go. Gothi's unwavering stare told her that she knew exactly what she was thinking.

But Shadow didn't want the tiny woman dictating what she could and couldn't do. She was the Black Moon dragon for Thor's sake. The ancestor species of the Night Fury. She would be dammed if she let herself be bossed around.

"Hiccup. I want to go with you." She said. Gothi immediately tried to wack her with her staff. Shadow wasn't expecting the swing, but managed to block it at the last second. She pulled the overgrown stick out of the healers grip and growled at her.

"I thought I asked you not to wack me with your little drawing stick." She spat.

Gothi, now without her staff, reverted to sign language to speak to her. It was a bonus that no one else knew what she was saying.

 _'You cannot go to Eel Island. Something will go wrong and might get found out if you do.'_

"I know what I'm doing. I haven't survived this long just by luck you know. You know wha- who I am, and you should know that there isn't much you can do to keep me here."

 _'If you go, something bad will happen. It always does. If Hiccup somehow finds out what you are and leaves you there, how will you get off the island? It isn't exactly the most habitable of places, and I don't recommend living there until the next new moon. In that form, you will not survive.'_

"That's why I want to go over there and get that stuff. It could help me gain more strength. I wouldn't get into that situation. Besides, I've faced some really bad things before and came out alive, I'm sure I can handle whatever is on that island."

Shadow neglected to mention the fact that in those other situations, she came out _barely_ alive. Gothi still wasn't happy.

 _'Fine, go if you want to. Don't say I didn't warn you. I'm going back to start making that potion. Whatever you choose to do is ultimately up to you. If anything bad happens, it can't be blamed on me.'_

"Understood. Hiccup? I don't suppose there is room for one more?" she asked turning to Hiccup.

He was still confused about what they wer saying to each other, but nodded. Everyone got on their respective dragons and flew off. Hiccup and Shadow got onto Toothless's back (With more growls and protests), and flew west to eel island.

Another few hours went by in silence before they landed on eel island. The two of them had spotted a river that wound through the mountains and thought that was the best place to catch an eel. Toothless wasn't happy at the prospect of seeing any eels.

They walked towards the water and found a good spot to sit, and Hiccup got out some rope and a hook for catching a bloodbane eel. He watched as Shadow moved around the river bank and over the rocks, gazing deep into the water. She seemed to be looking for something other than eels, he thought. He called out to her and asked what she was up to as he prepared his fishing gear.

Shadow looked back at him, but didn't answer. The less he knew, the better. Eventually she spotted a dark crevice under the water, and she could see eels swimming in and out. It looked like an underwater cave, just like Gothi described.

Hiccup kept calling her, but she didn't respond. Even now, she could feel the power of the moonstone. It was close, and held untapped potential for her. She felt giddy at the idea of getting her claws on some to see what she could do with it.

 _Well, no sense in delaying the inevitable._

She thought to herself. Then she started unbuckling her scaled armour and pulled it off. Hiccup's voice went silent and he looked away shyly. She didn't care. As a dragon, she wasn't exactly covered in clothes, so it didn't matter much to her.

She stripped down until she was wearing just her leggings and an undershirt, then she walked over, closest as she could to the underwater cave entrance.

She waited for a moment, and dived into the water.

The water was cold, bitterly so, but Shadow ignored it as she swam towards her goal. She wanted to get in and out before anything bad happened. Her lungs started to burn with pressure as all the oxygen was being used up. Her clawed hands grasped rock and she pulled herself along.

After what seemed like forever, her head broke the surface of the water and she gasped. If only she was a dragon, she thought. Their lungs were so much bigger.

But the unearthly glowing of the cave distracted her too much. Glittering the darkened cave like a thousand stars, moonstone lined the floor, walls and ceiling in strange shapes. The stone sparkled like crystal in the darkness. It was a truly beautiful sight. She could feel the untapped power flowing through this place, being absorbed into her skin. It was exhilarating. Even in the day time, the moonstone fueled her connection to the moon, and she felt instantly stronger.

She hopped out of the water and walked over to the unearthly glowing stone. She felt in awe of it. Hesitantly, she touched her clawed hand to one of the larger rocks. It was deathly cold against her skin. But the raw power of moonlight, trapped inside the stone, fueled her and filled her body with such strength. She could feel the dragon within her purring in bliss.

Her claws felt sharper, her teeth felt longer, the scales on her back tougher. The moonstone was a power pack of energy. Grinning like a dragon, she filed the bag she had with her with as much moonstone as she could carry. She took rocks of all different sizes, some as large as her fist, others as small as beads, until the bag was full. This amount of moonstone could fuel her for months, maybe even years.

Happily, she went back over to the pool of water that she came in through and prepared to swim back. With a massive gulp of air, she dived under with her prize and swam out through the darkness.

She could see the sunlight glistening through the water, inviting her to come up. She swam towards the surface, but all of a sudden, bloodbane eels swarmed around her, biting her flesh and wrapping their slimy bodies around her neck. Shadow thrashed in the water against the eels, fighting to get free.

Her lungs started to burn with the lack of oxygen. The dragon within her started to break free and tear apart the eels with her claws. Shadow continued to swim to the surface, her head breaking out over the water and gasping in relief. The eels kept on fighting, the disgusting slimy sea spawns. They bit her with their needle like teeth. Shadow roared and bit down on one that went for her shoulder. The flesh of the eel tasted like bile, but she couldn't stop herself in her dragon frenzy from swallowing the eel.

Instantly, she felt sick and horrible. All of a sudden, there was a splash and something grabbed her around the waist. Shadow was yanked out of the water and thrown onto the riverbank, where she started coughing up water and feeling dizzy.

"Shadow! Are you ok? What happened?" cried Hiccup. She looked up at his piercing green eyes and tried to speak, but nothing came out. His face started to move around and morph into something hideous. Her vision was going funny and she couldn't see straight.

She lurched away from him as her stomach started heaving. But despite all her efforts and energy, she couldn't cough up the section of eel she swallowed. She groaned in obvious discomfort.

"Shadow, what's wrong? Talk to me. I can't help you if I don't know what's wrong." He cried.

She groaned again. "I-… ugh… ate… a- ugh… an… eel…" she croaked.

Hiccup stared at her. "How on in Thor's name could you have swallowed an eel?" he said, not really expecting an answer.

Shadow tried to stand up, but could only do so by supporting her weight on a tree, and she wobbled on unsteady legs. She was faintly aware of him approaching, but was still struggling to remain upright.

She couldn't believe what was happening to her: dragons, as a rule, never even toughed eels. She just ate one!

And it definitely wasn't agreeing with her either.

Her nose felt horrible, like it was hotter than the rest of her face and itchy. And her throat felt like it was on fire. All of a sudden, she could feel a cough and a sneeze coming on and she turned her head away from the blob that resembled Hiccup. She sneezed into her hands, and a painful puff of smoke burst out of her nose.

 _Oh no. oh shit._

Humans may have been able to eat eels, but dragons cant. And when dragons get sick… Shadow didn't even know if her human form could take that that much.

Toothless warbled at her as he stood in front of her face. He smelt eel and didn't like what it was doing to her. Suddenly, she coughed and a burst of flame came out of her mouth.

"What the hell?!" screamed Hiccup.

Unknown to him, he didn't know it was Shadow who caused the explosion, but thought it was Toothless. He watched in shock as Shadow ran off into the forest like a mad woman. He called out to her and tried to follow, but for someone who could barely stand twenty seconds ago, damn she was fast.

Hiccup's prosthetic leg tripped on a tree root and went down. His face hit the dirt with a loud smack. Groaning, he stood back up bracing himself on Toothless.

"Come on bud, we have to find her. There could be heaps of wild dragons here what she could run into. We have to get to her before any of them do."


	13. don't eat the eels

Shadow blindly ran through the trees, not allowing herself to stop and rest. This was bad, she thought. Very very bad. Humans didn't cough up flames when they were sick. Hiccup would know something was wrong with her if he saw her breathing fire. She had no choice but to run. But her blurry vision was not helping her one bit.

Without warning, her head collided with a tree. The third one yet. She groaned as stood back up. Everything hurt from either colliding with a non-moving object or from the sickness that the eel was giving her. Suddenly her throat heated up until it felt like it was burning, and an explosive cough blasted from her mouth, singing the back of her throat. The bright red fire burnt a nearby tree to cinders. Hiccup would have seen that.

She took off once more. Every now and again, another cough would burst out of her mouth and singe her throat, making her breathing raw with pain. She didn't even know if her human body could withstand this much. She could permanently destroy her own vocal chords if this didn't stop.

This time, she collided with a rock.

Her head was spinning, her stomached ached, her throat was burnt raw and there was something digging into her side. Wait a minute! She looked down. Her vision was still warped and twisted, but she recognized the bag of moonstone. Suddenly, she had an idea. As she fumbled for the button on the bag, her ears were trained on her surroundings, keeping an ear out for Hiccup and Toothless.

After painfully long minutes, the top of the bag came free, and she pulled out the first moonstone she grabbed. In her sickened state, it would be dangerous to attempt this, but given the options, it was probably the best. She hopped.

Concentrating despite the pain, she willed herself to change. She could not let the dragon show itself on the outside, but on the inside…

She willed herself to change to her needs, her throat becoming fire proof and her lungs developing to hold fire. She screamed in pain as she shifted, and her vocal chords severed and redeveloped to speak in the draconic tongue.

As the shift stopped, she was able to breathe again. But the god damned sneezing and coughing didn't want to stop. Another explosive cough came out of her mouth. How many times was that? She was sure she had passed her normal shot limit.

Groaning and feeling nauseous, she kept running.

.

.

Hiccup was not having a wonderful time. In fact, today was a bit of a stressful day for him. He did not imagine that he would have to track down a sick, delusional, crazy, slightly feral girl with dragon behavior on an island with eels while seeing fireballs being blasted in the air randomly by a mysterious wild dragon, and being chased by a big green Typhoomerang.

Yea, if someone told him he'd be doing this, he would have died from laughing.

But he wasn't laughing. It's quite hard to laugh when there is a massive fire breathing dragon chasing you. Hiccup was struggling to keep in control of the situation. And frankly, he was getting more and more pissed.

"Come on bud, let's use his size against him. Up!" he said.

Toothless flapped his wings and shot into the sky, the Typhoomerang in hot pursuit. "Now, dive!" he called. Instantly, Toothless responded and twisted into a dive. The giant dragon flew after them, struggling with the tight turn due to his large size.

They turned at the last moment, just avoiding smashing on the rocks and reset their course. The Typhoomerang wasn't so lucky. He smashed head-first into the ground and laid there dazed and out for the count.

Hiccup sighed in relief. Now they just had to find Shadow and fix this mess. Easier said than done. But at least they had a lead on finding her. That wild dragon that was shooting fire balls in the air seemed to be following her, so he thought he would just follow it and it should lead to her.

He watched the island, scanning the forest for any signs of the wild dragon and its destructive tendencies.

BOOM!

There. Another explosion. Hiccup hoped that Shadow was ok. He pointed Toothless towards the explosion, telling him to be ready for anything. But there wasn't anything to be ready for. When they landed in the clearing which had been burned to ash, only Shadow was there, and no wild dragon in sight. Shadow looked horrible.

She sure felt it though.

Cautiously, Hiccup dismounted and approached her. She looked surprised to see him and opened her mouth to speak, but only growling and dragon noises came out. Hiccup and Toothless looked at her strangely.

She continued to make the noises as if she was speaking to him, but he had no idea what she was saying. Or even if what she was saying could be translated into anything legible. But when he looked at Toothless, he was shocked to see the Night Fury looking at her with interest.

Then he started making the same noises in response. Hiccup's eyes widened at the sight. Shadow and Toothless were communicating, in some sort of language that they could both speak. His jaw dropped.

Shadow sneezed.

He watched the two of them talk for a few minutes, engrossed in their communication skills. He could not believe that the two of them could speak in the dragons tongue. No, scratch that. He had no idea that there was an actual language that dragons could speak, and that Shadow, for some strange reason, could speak it.

Today was definitely a strange day. And Shadow continued to confuse him.

Toothless walked over to her and gestured to his saddlebag with his head. In response, Shadow went over to him and pulled something out. Hiccup couldn't see what it was, but he could guess its purpose.

As soon as she had eaten whatever ingredient was in the saddlebag, she doubled over in pain and started dry heaving.

He ran over to her to see if she was ok, but no sooner had he stopped in front of her, did she throw up the eel she had miraculously swallowed. To his disgust, it landed on his feet covered in saliva and stomach acid.

"Eww."

Shadow groaned and looked back up at him. She was paler than usual. Not to mentioned she looked tired and terrible. She stumbled slightly but stayed upright, clutching her bag. He watched her just stand there and get her breathing back to normal before she had the ability to speak again.

"Sorry…"

"Its ok, I guess. Are you feeling alright?" he asked. She nodded. "Better. Can we go back now, please? I want to get as far away from eels as possible." He nodded and helped her get onto the saddle. Frankly, he had enough of Eel Island too.

"If I never see another eel in my lifetime, it will be too soon."


	14. lies and accusations

The three of them had been flying for a few hours non-stop, hoping to get back to Berk before night fell. Time wasn't exactly with them at that point, so they arrived back a bit after dark. The village seemed quiet and no one was moving around on the watch towers. Everyone seemed to be in the great hall waiting for the cure for eel pox.

Toothless landed just outside the great big doors and the two of them dismounted. When they walked in, they saw almost the entire village wrapped in blankets and coughing. Gothi was in a by the fire with a huge cauldron. They quickly walked over to her and handed her the eel they had caught. As well as the half of one that ended up in Shadow's stomach.

Gothi looked at them expectantly, wanting to hear about what happened. She was no fool, she knew something happened.

Shadow gave her a dirty look. "Not a word. Form either of you." She sulked off outside.

Gothi looked at Hiccup. "She ate an eel. It didn't agree with her."

The small elder just gave him a look and went back to work. There were people there that needed her. Hiccup got up and left her to her work.

He met up with Astrid and Fishlegs outside, the two of them somehow avoiding the outbreak of eel pox. They asked him what happened while they were out getting the last ingredient.

"I don't know how she managed to do it. But she swallowed about half an eel. I saw her dive in the water some time before, and when she disappeared and didn't come back up, I got really worried. After I pulled her out of the water, she said that she ate an eel. After that she ran off into the forest. We didn't find her again until about an hour later because we were chased by a Typhoomerang."

"Do you have any idea why she acted like she did?" asked Fishlegs. He shrugged in response. "She pretty much went feral again before she ran off. I know it sounds strange, and frankly it is. But on a side note, in my opinion she acted like a dragon does when it sees eels."

"Well, we can all agree that there are many strange things about Shadow." Said Astrid.

"Speaking of strange, after Toothless and I finally found her and she stopped running, she spoke in some sort of strange language. Toothless could understand her, and he spoke back. They were communicating in the same language."

Their eyes went wide. They knew dragons were smart and had their own culture about them with the way they acted, but they didn't know that they had an actual language, and that humans could replicate it.

"How is that possible?" squeaked Fishlegs.

"I don't know how, but I'm going to find out. Do you guys want to come with me and ask her?" said Hiccup.

They nodded. The three of them, plus their dragons went to go and find the dark, mysterious girl and ask her a few questions. They found her on the edge of the forest, lounging in the branches of a tree. She still looked sick and was probably resting to get her strength back.

But as soon as they approached, her silver eyes opened and looked at them. Her eyes appeared to glow in the moonlight. She seemed stronger despite her sickness.

Her questioning gaze followed them as they came closer to her tree. "I assume you want answers." She said.

Hiccup nodded and stepped closer. "Yes, we want some answers. For instance, how were you able to speak to Toothless?"

Her eyes closed as she considered her next words. She knew they were onto her, and they were questioning her. She was afraid that soon, they would find out. They would find out what she really was.

"When you have lived around dragons as much as people, you pick up their dialects. I have been exposed to many forms of communication, and learned to replicate it."

Hiccup was surprised, but kept it hidden and asked his next question. "Why did you speak to Toothless and not me? And what exactly did you say to him?"

"After I had ingested that god forsaken eel, and got sick because of it, I couldn't speak properly from all the coughing. Dragoneese was the easiest language for me to speak in to communicate. Anything else would have damaged my vocal chords. I asked him if there was anything in his saddle bags that would intentionally make me sick so I could purge that disgusting sea snake from my stomach."

"Ok, time for the bigger questions. Humans are able to eat eels, but dragons avoid them entirely. We can guess that dragons would get sick from eating them, so how come you got sick?"

Shadow hesitated with her answer. She looked slightly nervous.

"I've never had a stomach for eels, they don't agree with me. And you are correct, dragons cannot eat eels. If they do, they get severally sick. Now let me ask you a question. Lets think back to a week ago for a second, just before I had passed out while Fishlegs had me cornered. He told you exactly what I said, yes?"

They nodded.

"He told you that there is a mental and physical bond between me and the Black Moon dragon, correct?" another nod. "Well, if dragons cannot eat eels, that means I can't either."

"What exactly is this connection you have?" asked Astrid. Shadow stiffened slightly and narrowed her eyes.

"It's a curse. We are bonded. We cannot be separated. Where one goes, the other follows."

"Well, where is it now?" asked Fishlegs. Shadow narrowed her eyes. "I told you that already. Its gone. Disappeared. And it won't be back until the next new moon, when the lunar cycle resets. It has been regaining all its lost energy while it rests, and its giving me a chance to catch up with it."

"You still haven't told us where it goes. How does it go into hiding? Its not like you can easily disguise a big black dragon."

Shadow glared at them. "I refuse to tell you the secrets of the Black Moon dragon. I cannot, and will not tell you where it is. There is nothing you can do to force that information out of me."

Hiccup looked at her curiously. He noticed that in that moment she became closed off to them, and she would only have a reason for doing that if she was hiding something. "Tell us about your injuries. When we first found you in the cove you were covered in blood, and when you passed out after going missing for hours you were covered in blood again. So tell us, where were those injuries and what caused them?"

Shadow felt both frightened and angered. He body was feeling cold from fear, but also hot from anger. She didn't know what was more prominent. They were asking too many questions. Questions that were too close to home. Their questioning gazes were unwavering, and she was forced to provide an answer.

"They were from… old injuries. I was badly clawed once by a large dragon, tore my back up pretty good. I barely survived it. But if I move too much, the wounds reopen. I overexerted myself when I first got here, and again when I ran off a week ago. I simply reopened the cuts again, and blead out quite a bit."

Hiccup was not convinced. It didn't add up properly. That sort of thing didn't happen to wounds of that nature, if they did, she would have appeared to be in a lot of pain, and the cuts would have been infected. She was lying to them, he was certain. But he didn't show it.

"Speaking of the first time we found you, how exactly did you get here anyway? People don't just randomly turn up in the middle of the forest at Raven Point. Especially after a strange dragon disappears in the night. So how about you start explaining that one." He demanded.

Shadow's heartbeat increased dramatically. Her heart felt constricted, like a snake was coiling itself around it. Her breathing was ragged. Her eyes were wide. She was running out of ideas. She was on thin ice now.

She gulped as she began to speak again.

"I told you didn't I." she began with fake confidence and a challenging tone. "I flew here. On the back of the Black Moon dragon." She added.

She watched as Hiccup's face darkened. It was at that point that she knew that he knew she was lying. She had just fallen into her own grave. She was screwed.

"Really? Is that so? Well then by that account it would seem that Dagur was lying to me then. Not that I trusted him to tell the truth anyway, but what he said doesn't add up to what you said. He claims that the Black Moon dragon attacked his village, as well as his fleet when they went after it. It was unburdened by a rider when it attacked his armada. And we have the words of his soldiers to back him up too. They told us the same thing. The dragon that attacked them, the Black Moon, had no rider. And once it was done attacking them, it flew north. They followed because they knew that Berk was the closest place to make repairs, so logically it must have come here too. But you said that you rode on its back and that it brought you here, so how exactly does that work huh?"

Shadow's silver eyes were wide, and her body was frozen like stone. He could see the fear in her glowing eyes. She was caught in a web of lies, and he knew it. She did too.

"Who are you really?" he accused.

 **Oh boy, the accusations start flying! now we are getting somewhere. tensions are high and Shadow is being questioned. how will this all go down? frankly, I dont fully know. I got nothin now. mental blank. missing piece. I need some help here. I go a great big plan for when they find out about her, and see with their own eyes that she is the Black Moon dragon, but I got two weeks worth of time in the story to kill. right now, by my calculations it should be within a few days of the full moon, the time when Shadow is at her peak of strength. I got to get rid of another two weeks before the dragon is revealed, and I need ideas. especially on how Shadow gets out of this situation. I could seriously do with those lovely reviews *wink wink* *nudge nudge***

 **but anyway, because of events n normal life, and exams that are coming up that I really should have been studying for, I may not post anything for a week (this may also be influenced by lack of ideas for this situation). so just forewarning you.**


	15. running with your life on the line

"Who are you really?" he accused.

The blood in Shadow's veins froze at his reproachful words. Her muscles tensed, her claws flexed and jammed into the branch she was sitting on. Her back arched like an animal's when in danger.

Her breathing became ragged as she gazed into his unwavering eyes. Those were the eyes of someone who held another person's fate in their hands. Shadow's suppressed memories resurfaced as she remembered others who had the same eyes.

The King of some southern country. The Roman General. The Hunters of supernatural creatures. They had all looked at her the same way. Those demanding eyes that chilled her to the bone. The accusations that tore at her heart.

Shadow's throat tightened at the memories. She remembered all the other times she had been caught, nearly killed. All those times, she let her guard down, and it nearly cost her life.

 _Traitor._ Tied to a whipping post, a whip lashing against her back.

 _Murderer._ Her head on the chopping block. An axe raised above her head.

 _Monster._ Lashed to a pyre, surrounded by hay bales. Fires ready to consume her.

Times in which she had let her guard down, given away too much, let people too close. It was all coming back to haunt her. Never again. Never again, she promised herself. She had never wanted to see those same eyes again, but she was.

Hiccup. Wonderful, friendly, harmless Hiccup, was staring at her with those eyes. The eyes she had learned to associate with pain, suffering and death.

She couldn't bare to look at him any longer. She couldn't bare to be at his mercy with her life on the line.

Never again would she let her life force be controlled by someone other than her.

She wasn't going to let herself be at _anyone's_ mercy ever again.

Defiantly from her space in the tree, Shadow reared up and snarled. The sound of her roar echoed throughout the area, frightening anyone that heard. She growled, snarled, hissed and roared at Hiccup and the other teens.

She bared her teeth at him, letting him see the tools she used to rip people's throats out.

She would not let him catch her. She would not let him kill her.

Without warning, she turned and lunged for the next tree, and then the next. Leaping through the trees and bushes. Shadow ran as fast as she could into the growing darkness, escaping the clutches of someone who she believed her enemy.

Her ears picked up the sound of Hiccup calling out to her as he and the Night Fury perused. She ran faster, jumped longer, and sprinted further through the trees.

Her blood boiled with adrenaline and rage, and she longed to fly. The great black beast within her longed to break free, to help her escape. But it couldn't just yet.

"Shadow! Wait!" she heard Hiccup call.

The Black Moon dragon struggled to break free and control her mind, like it had so many times before. It wanted to regain control, take her away from this place, help her be free. The natural instincts of the beast filled her mind.

 _Run. Survive. Eat. Kill… Run. Survive. Eat. Kill…_

Suddenly, her body lurched forward, and she was no longer running on two feet, but on all fours. Her claws left deep gorge marks in the dirt. Her breathing became throaty and husky as her base instincts tore through her mind. Every muscle burned with fire.

She heard the sound of flapping wings coming closer and closer. A dragon's call bellowed from behind her. The Night Fury, it was calling to her. She ignored his calls and sped on.

She couldn't outrun him forever. She needed a place to hide. A place she could wait for the great black beast to return. Yes. A cave would suit her. Somewhere dark where she could lurk, and stay away from the other dragons. And Hiccup. He wouldn't be able to find her. He couldn't see in the dark.

She ran on through the darkness until she found a cave entrance. Growling in triumph, she ran towards it and into the dark unknown. The stone tunnel was dark, wet and silent. Only the sounds of Shadow's ragged breathing filled the air.

She ran on through the shadows, twisting and turning through the natural passageways, and jumping over rocks that threatened to bar her way.

Faintly, the sound of beating wings could be heard as she ran. The Night Fury was still following her.

She kept on running, faster and faster on her hands and feet. Her scaled armor jangled at her violent movements, and her tones muscles rippled with the force of her movements.

Suddenly she slipped. Her front right claw landed in a pool of water, making her lose her grip, and her face came crashing down on the cold hard stone. She painfully rolled and tumbled through the cave, her back and arms and legs scraping painfully against the ground. She felt rocks slam into her body and head as she cannoned through the darkness.

All of a sudden, the ground gave out beneath her and she fell. Shadow screamed as gravity took over and she plummeted into the earth. Her head rattled with every collision of the walls. She could feel her bones being bashed inside her body, possibly breaking.

She continued to scream in pain as she descended into the dark depths of the unnatural tunnel.

With a mighty smash, she was brought to a stop against a stalagmite, which broke off at the speed she cannoned into it. She groaned as she felt every muscle in her body wincing with protest. She hadn't felt this much pain all over her body since she was interrogated for information over ten years ago. She remembered her torturer being absolutely brutal and unforgiving. Much like that tunnel.

Shadow's breathing was ragged and her lungs burned and ached with every small movement. She had no choice but to lay there and gather her energy and catch her breath.

Achingly, she sat up and braced her clawed hand against the ground to hold herself up. The sound of something crumbling, and the feeling of something strange under her palm caught her attention. She looked down.

Eggshell.

 _What in the name Hades?_

Why would an eggshell of this size be under Berk? In fact, what kind of dragons hid their eggs underground? Curiously, she looked around at her surroundings. There were more eggshells, all busted open. Their cracked remains littered the floor of the cavern.

Her head snapped back to where she came in. Hiccup was there, and god, he looked pissed.

"Shadow! What in the name of Odin is going on? Why did you run off like that? Why were you acting like some sort of wild dragon?"

Toothless growled in the darkness.

"Shadow, I've played the waiting game with you long enough. I know you are hiding something. You are becoming increasingly dangerous and volatile. What are you hiding!?" he demanded.

For someone so small, he surely had a set of lungs on him.

But Shadow's focus laid elsewhere, mainly, the broken remains of dragon eggs strewn around the cavern. She had seen eggs like these before, but where.

"Shadow! Are you even listening to me!?"

"SILENCE!" she roared. She dropped her voice to a whisper. "We are not alone in here."

He froze at her words, and he finally saw the broken remains at her feet. Curiously, she lifted a section of the eggshell to her nose and inhaled its scent.

Her eyes widened in terror. "Whispering Death eggs…"

 **dun dun duuuuuun! hehehehehe. things are getting more and more interesting. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I seriously enjoyed writing it. I was struggling for a bit on how Shadow would react to Hiccup demanding to know who she is exactly, and I wanted her to think back to other times in her life where she was in similar situations, and acting according to past experiences. tell me what you think of those three hints at her past, and what you think happened in those situations.**

 **there is going to be a big fight scene coming up next, between Shadow, Hiccup, Toothless and three young Whispering Deaths. this is meant to be similar to the riders of berk episode, except this time, they cannot use sunlight against them... how will all this go down? I dont even know yet. lol.**

 **please favourite, follow and leave a review!**


	16. planted eggs and angry hatchlings

All around them, the cavern shook. Rocks and dirt fell from the stone ceiling and landed loudly next to them. The ground tremored like an earth quake.

Shadow's hearing alerted her to a large presence to her left. It was a Whispering Death. It's blank, soulless eyes searching for them in the dark, its jaw muscles twisting and turning in its mouth uncontrollably. Shrieking caught her attention. There was another one to her left. And another behind her.

Three hungry, annoyed and very angry Whispering Death hatchlings.

"Oh for the love of everything dark and evil, could this get any worse?" she asked herself. Even Hiccup could hear her voice dripping with sarcasm. The dragons shrieked their response in anger.

Toothless growled in worry for his rider. Those Whispering Deaths looked at him like he might make a tasty snack.

"Hiccup… What's the plan?" asked Shadow, her voice strained.

"We got to get out of here. Now! Run!" he cried. The dragons detected the tone of his voice and lunged for him. Toothless dodged and made a run for it, his first instinct to get Hiccup out of there. Screams of the angered dragons echoed through the cavern, and their snakelike bodies whipped around in the large open space. Those dangerous spikes threatened to impale anything at random.

Shadow needed a plan. A good one. Something better than just: run! The battlefield here would not do. She needed somewhere she could move freely and not be trapped by rock underground.

One of the Whispering Deaths saw her and roared, catching the attention of another one. They cannoned straight towards her, their gaping mouths threatening to swallow her whole. She ran, ducked, dodge and slipped away. Ok, maybe the whole 'run' plan wasn't so bad.

But she still needed to figure something out. She needed to take these dragons out, but in her weaker human form, there wasn't much she could do. She felt momentarily useless.

No, she wasn't going to let that control her. She was not useless. She was the magnificent and deadly Black Moon dragon, the great black beast of the night! She would not run and cower to these sawblade jawed snakes.

One of them came close to her, its white eyes glaring at her in the dim lighting. She hissed as it approached, and socked it right in the face. It screeched and backed off.

She growled in anticipation and triumph. Even in her human form, she was still formidable. And the aftereffects of her previous transformation had left her with a few nasty surprises for these beasts.

The dragon lunged at her again, and she extended her sharpened nails into huge claws, swiping them across its face.

The creature howled in pain. Shadow roared at it and showed her dominance over it, allowing her dragon instincts to take over her body once again. It didn't like being challenged and roared back in her face.

She hit it again. Her claws rakes massive gashes in its flesh. From somewhere behind her, Toothless fired a plasma blast that momentarily blinded the beast.

Shadow turned and ran. She ran straight to Hiccup and Toothless and vaulted onto the Night Fury's back, before he whipped around and sped into the darkness and towards and exit. They could hear the Whispering Deaths following in pursuit. Her blood was boiling and it took all her willpower to prevent herself from attempting another transformation.

She couldn't let the beast take control of her fully. Not while she was still weak. Not while in front of Hiccup.

Toothless flew as fast as possible through the tunnels, using his echolocation to avoid crashing into stalagmites. His wings flapped, creating great bursts of wind that sped them on.

After what seemed like forever, they made it out into the moonlight. Shadow had never been happier to see the moon. Its light and power surged within her. She almost lost focus and let the beast out as the near full moon glowed.

Shadow knew, as well as the Black Moon dragon, that the best and probably only way to defeat these three volatile Whispering Deaths was by using the strength of a dragon. The black beast crooned at her, begging her to let it free to wreak havoc. She was seriously tempted to do just that. But her human form may not be able to handle another transformation. It could very well kill her, if the Vikings didn't when they saw her.

But the moon still called to her, promising power to her. Its silky voice much like a goddess. Oh how she so wanted to: to give in to her desires, transform into the magnificent black beast, to tear these interlopers apart with her fangs. But she couldn't, her body couldn't survive another transformation.

The beast was confined to inside her body for now, where it cannot break free, where it cannot tear her body apart, where it cannot be seen…

Where it cannot be seen…

Shadow's eyes opened as an idea formed. She grinned in barely suppressed dark pleasure. The great black beast was always inside her, why not make that seem more literal?

Toothless continued to fly and dodge the Whispering Deaths, occasionally shooting deadly plasma blast to keep them away.

Shadow needed added strength. Her moonstone: that would help. She wracked her brains, thinking where she put it. She needed it now! It was back at that tree she was laying on earlier.

Without regard for where she currently was, Shadow jumped off Toothless's back, landing hard on the ground rolling to absorb the impact, and ran towards where she left her precious moonstone. Hiccup screamed at her when she jumped, seemingly to her doom, and again when he realised she was leaving him. He was forced to fight against all three Whispering Deaths by himself.

He had no choice but to retreat, and lead them away to the outskirts of the village. There, the other available teens would help with this mess.

Shadow ran through the forest at full pelt, her muscles rippling under her armour. The edge of the village lay ahead, and the tree she had been resting in. her prize lay in the branches. After swarming up the tree like a squirrel, and snatching the bag, she bolted towards the sounds of Hiccup and the Night Fury and the whip like sounds of the Whispering Deaths.

Stormfly the Nadder and Meatlug the Gronkle had heard the wails and growls of Toothless, and had brought their riders to join the fight. They were evenly numbered, but still seriously outgunned.

Shadow halted for a moment by the forge to assess the fight. Each dragon was paired with one of the hatchlings, and were fighting for their lives. The boulder class dragons weren't giving up the fight. They would need backup soon.

Shadow wasted no more time. She pulled out the largest moonstone and held it in the moonlight. It glowed with the moon's pure essence, and pulsed with raw power. Power she readily consumed. She groaned as the energy flowed within her and changed her. She could feel her insides growing and changing to her will.

She clenched her teeth as her muscles grew and hardened into a leaner and strong form, her canine fangs grew in length and threatened to tear through her lips. She grew in height to accommodate for her growing strength and reforming bones. With a mental command, she kept her fire lungs at bay, not needing them in this fight. She couldn't afford to use her fire or lightning breath.

She grasped at the wall of the forge as her head swam. The process was still incredibly painful, and it threatened to knock her out. She stumbled for a moment and raked her claws against the wooden support beam, leaving a large gash.

Her head screamed at her in agony, and a shriek escaped her mouth. Her hand went up go grasp at her head, and she felt something. She froze. Three pairs of horns were growing out of her head, but were still hidden by her hairline. She was letting the Black Moon have more freedom than it should. Using a mental command, she stopped the horns growth before they could become visible.

Her breathing was deep and ragged as dragons blood coursed through her veins. She watched from the shadows as the Whispering Deaths attacked the other dragons, trying to tear them apart.

She growled deep in her throat at the sight. Shadow turned her head towards the forge and noticed weapons strewn around the room. She reached over and grabbed the closest two, not caring what they were.

She set her sights back on her targets and started running and picking up speed. She ran faster and faster towards the fight, her blood roaring in her ears. She snarled and lunged at the closest one, hitting it in the head with her two handed battle axe. Her opposite hand immediately followed up with a second attack, smashing a section of jaw with another identical axe. Its gaping mouth was on her, trying to chomp down and eat her, but Shadow sliced it with the two axes. It screeched and backed away.

Shadow ran for the next one. She hacked away at the offending dragons with her two axes, and used every part of her body in the fight. She never stood still for a moment, and not always on both feet at one time. She jumped and pivoted and kicked the Whispering Deaths wherever she was closest. Spikes and fire were shot everywhere.

She fought with an animalistic ferocity against the Whispering Deaths, slashing, kicking, hacking and punching. She threw everything she had at them. She became the front line of attack against the three, while the others provided an air strike and fired upon the heads of the dragons. They screeched and screamed in pain every time she landed a hit. Eventually, they realised that this human figure was too much for them to fight. She fought with the skills of a human, but with the strength and power of a dragon.

They became frightened and flew away in fear.

Shadow stood still finally and watched them leave. The adrenaline in her system raged like a thunderstorm, and she had so much more to give. But at the sight of the fleeing dragons, she allowed herself to calm slightly. And she let out a bellowing roar of triumph.

 **woo, finally another chapter. I wanted to update earlier, but I had some exams today and earlier in the week. that and I have been brain dead for a while. I will be speed writing the next scene for the fanfic so I can catch up for this missed time. hopefully it will be good. I realise that I have allowed Shadow to use partial transformations much more than she should have, and I'm going to cut back on that after this next scene. for the next few chapters after that, i will be focusing on Shadow and the gang just getting along and understanding each other.**

 **till next update :) please review, I love to hear what you have to say!**


	17. Screaming Death battle

Shadow's roar of triumph was heard throughout the entire village. Even the sick Vikings inside the great hall heard it. They were all terrified for a moment, thinking it was some kind of wild dragon.

Hiccup was terrified most of all. He had seen many Vikings fight, but none had come anywhere near the rage that Shadow displayed. And none of them could do _that._ Her roar shook through his thin frame and resonated through to his very soul.

The imagined image of the Black Moon dragon flashed into his mind, and he imagined it in her place. Was this what its roar sounded like? Able to rattle your bones and leave you with nightmares of terrifying monsters?

He watched her as she stood to catch her breath. She seemed taller, stronger. And she shouldn't be able to duel wield those two handed battle axes. Even Astrid couldn't fight with two.

She seemed so unnatural and strange. Not to mention wild. And feral.

Her eyes blazed with battle fury, something that Vikings usually only got when fighting for their lives in epic and glorious battles. The fury shone in her eyes bright and deadly, and they seemed to glow silver in the moonlight.

But despite the retreat of the Whispering Deaths, and the strange and ferocious behaviour and fighting of Shadow, something seemed wrong. As if something was still coming. It wasn't over yet.

The ground started shaking. The mountain tremored with the force of an earthquake. Everything shook. Things that were loose or not nailed down began to shape and topple over. Hiccup saw Shadow freeze, her fury replaced with shock and horror.

Somewhere behind them there was a mighty crash and something roared. The bellow had been louder than Shadow's roar of triumph, and it wailed with anger. Then, all of a sudden, something absolutely massive erupted from the ground and flew into the air.

Hiccup had never seen a creature so gargantuan before. Its long white body completely covered in massive, long spikes. The wings, powerful and muscular. But its head – oh god – its head had a jaw so massive that it could swallow an entire army whole, and teeth longer than spears to tear at flesh and rip bodies apart.

The creature's red eyes bore a hole right through his very soul. Its sheer size was in comparison to the Red Death. Undoubtedly a Titan wing.

The creature, no, the monster cast its gaze to the group of dragons and growled. It sensed a challenge. It wanted to fight.

"Oh shit! Not one of these!" Hiccup hear Shadow cry. Her face was a mask of pure horror. She was looking at the beast with some kind of recognition in her eyes.

The _thing_ roared at them and charged. All the dragons rushed to get out of its way.

"Shadow! Have you seen one of these before?" yelled Astrid with shock in her voice. She too had seen the look on Shadow's face.

"It's a Screaming Death!" she howled.

The dragon being mentioned whipped around and attacked. His huge teeth attempting to chomp an unsuspecting dragon out of the air. The long, snakelike body twisted and lurched, sending razor sharp spines at those who moved too slow.

"What do we do?" cried Fishlegs.

"These things are almost impossible to kill. We don't have the firepower!" screamed Shadow as she ran. She was trying to get behind it. Using her long claws, she scaled the sides of buildings and hopped across the roofs of houses.

Shadow struggled to come up with a plan. It had been so many years since she had seen this kind of creature. At the time, she barely came out of it alive after fighting it so long. She seriously needed a way to stop it before too long.

Hiccup and Toothless were trying to distract it while the others fired upon the beast. They flew in circles above its giant head, hitting it with plasma blasts every minute or so.

She could see the anger on its face turn to rage. It would start firing if it got too mad. And those shots were unparalleled in destruction. She wasn't sure how much damage the village could sustain at the hands of that monster.

She watched from the corner of her eye as its spiked tail whipped around and smashed through anything too close. Somehow, she needed to keep its focus on either itself or something small to try and minimise the damage, and it needed to be contained while its focus was on something.

But how to get its attention and not get killed? She tried to think: what were its weaknesses? If she remembered correctly, it didn't have one, not even sunlight. They were stuck.

 _Ok, how would a smaller dragon survive being attacked by a larger dragon?_

Maybe she couldn't kill it, but maybe she can drive it away. She knew she was smaller and weaker, but the little guys and smaller dragons managed to survive somehow.

She wracked her brains for some of the information on smaller dragons that she knew of. She needed to know what helped them survive in this big harsh world.

Terrible Terrors, Speed Stingers, Fireworms and Smothering Smokebreaths were small dragons. Surely there was some secret they contained as to how they survive attacks from bigger dragons.

They all work in groups or packs. Something which they didn't have. Three dragons and a mysterious girl with dragon capabilities were no match for a Screaming Death.

They were fast. Something which she and Toothless had, not the others. And they couldn't use their speed for anything good, except for being shot at. The others may have some speed, but that wouldn't help them. She needed something else.

What were their stats again? Shadow wracked her brains, trying to remember Fishleg's babbling.

"Fishlegs! What are the stats for Terrible Terrors and Speed Stingers?!" she screamed over the noise.

"What?! Why are you asking that?" he shrieked.

"Just tell me!"

"Oh Thor. Terrible terrors: attack 8, venom 12. Speed Stingers: speed 30, venom 15, armour 10."

Venom. That was the answer. Smaller dragons used venom to combat larger foes. Huge dragons like this didn't have any venom, and most likely, no tolerance to it either.

Shadow sneered at the Screaming Death.

With a mental command, she forced herself to change again, and she pushed through it, ignoring the agony that came with it.

She had hated using this technique to fight, and was highly inexperienced with using it, but that just made it better. Black Moon dragons had some of the deadliest venom in the known world, capable of killing a full grown human within hours. Younglings like her were unfamiliar and unused to using venom attacks, so therefore their bite was deadlier.

She had yet to control how much venom she could inject at any one time, so she was likely to poison it with a deadly dose. Shadow wasn't sure if she could kill it, but she could at least incapacitate it.

As the transformation completed and her venom glands finished forming, she stopped to consider how she would get to the white beast.

The closer she was to the heart, the sooner it would take effect, so she had to get near its chest or throat. The throat would be best, she hoped. It might not be able to reach her there.

Shadow ran across the rooftops towards Hiccup, screaming his name. He saw her and directed his Night Fury to fly near her so she could jump on. She jumped and landed with a thud behind him on the saddle, and she wrapped her legs around him to hold on properly.

"I got an idea to drive it away. But I'll need help. I somehow got to get to its throat so I can take it out. Can you help?"

"Leave it to me."

Toothless fired a plasma blast at its face, which seriously pissed it off. The thing opened its fanged maw and screamed. Shadow cried out in pain and covered her ears while at the same time Toothless wailed in pain from the noise and struggled to stay flying.

Finally it stopped and inhaled a large breath. Then it fired. Giant fireballs shot out of its mouth at the dragons surrounding it, catching everyone off guard. Its' gatling fireballs destroyed anything it his, splintering homes apart like stacks of kindling.

Shadow had to act now. "Astrid! On my signal, I need you to shoot that thing in the face and try to knock its head back!" she screamed. Astrid looked at her, wondering what she was up to, but agreed without a second thought. She nodded and flew into position.

"Fishlegs, I need you to keep its eyes on you and off us, can you do that for a few minutes?" she hollered. He looked terrified at what she was asking and his face turned white. Shadow had no time to wait for his answer and trusted him to do the job.

"Hiccup, fly high, right above its head. Don't draw attention to yourself." She ordered. Hiccup placed his trust in her and flew up in a spiral. Shadow waited until they were high enough before she turned to Hiccup.

"I hope this works." She said dryly. "Wait! What are you doing?" he cried. Shadow smiled.

"If I told you, you wouldn't like it."

Then without warning, she slid sideways and off the saddle. And she freefell down to earth.

Hiccup screamed.

The wind rushed by her face and over her horns as Shadow fell. The Screaming Death was right below her, a few hundred meters away. She straightened her body and allowed gravity to pull her down towards her unsuspecting target. Astrid had looked up when Hiccup screamed and watched as Shadow dived towards what she thought was her death. She almost didn't react when Shadow gave the signal.

Praying to every god she knew that Shadow would live after this stupid and deadly stunt, she ordered Stormfly to fire. The screaming Death's head was knocked back – just in time.

The girl cannoned into it at breakneck speeds, and she almost missed the target and let go. Using her claws and teeth, Shadow latched on to the flesh of the beast's throat and tore great gashes in it. Immediately she injected venom from her fangs into the albino dragon, and it screamed. Her jaws clamped around its throat and did not let go, constantly injecting deadly amounts of poison into its system.

The screams of the beast rattled her body, and being this close to the dragon wasn't helping her ears. Soon, everything around her became white noise in the background. She couldn't hear anything.

The spiked tail slashed towards her like a whip, but her grip was strong, and despite the nasty blows she did not let go. Not until every last drop of venom had been injected into the wound in its throat. Shadow was hit one last time in the head, her horns protecting her skull from major damage, and she fell to the ground in a heap.

The last thing she saw out of lidded eyes as she passed out, was the Screaming Death retreating far away from Berk, its blood dripping everywhere, and the faces of worried teens staring down at her in awe. She looked over Hiccup's horrified face before she blacked out.

 **Woah, big epic shit going down there. how many times will Shadow get into a fight that doesn't involve her blacking out? anyway, that was fun to write. but my hands are freezing, so my typing was horrible, so sorry for any spelling mistakes. that was my frozen fingers. hope you enjoy this chapter. next should be them all just chilling and getting to know one another, all sorts of fluff and chill stuff. i love hearing your reviews, so keep em coming in. please :)**


	18. time for a break

_That's it. No more transformations. The pain is unbearable._

Shadow groaned as she woke up. Her entire body hurt and her muscles ached. She felt as if every single muscle in her body had been heated, stretched beyond its limit, cooled and contracted. She felt incredibly stiff.

Shadow groaned painfully as she sat up, making a note of her surroundings. Her tired eyes flickered over the room as she tried to guess where she was. She was lying in a bed covered in furs - definitely not the cot in Gothi's hut – and there was a desk to one side covered in paper, sketches and drawings. Near the foot of the bed was a large slab of stone scorched black with fire.

She had never seen anyone's room before, in fact she couldn't recall ever being in someone's house while she was here. She took a quick look at the sketches on the desk, Hiccup's work obviously. This must have been Hiccup's room.

Why the hell was she in Hiccup's room?

She shook her head. First, she needed to check for injuries. With this in mind, she pulled her body off the bed to sit on the side and she let the furs fall off her body. Her armor was gone, including her boots and gauntlets, but she was still clad in her black leggings and dark grey undershirt. But those were covered in dirt, sweat and blood and felt icky on her skin.

She looked around the room and noticed a set of clothes on the bedside table, identical to what she was already wearing, but nice and clean. She reached over and grabbed a shirt and pair of leggings before standing up to get changed.

There was a full length mirror in the corner, and she walked over to it so she could check her reflection. Her face had a few minor bruises, but was overall ok. Her teeth had returned to their normal size so that was good too.

Next she pulled off her shirt to check her upper body, and she was met with bandages over her chest. Those were from ages ago. Possibly her first transformation here on the new moon night. She would need to change those. Thankfully, Hiccup had left a roll of bandages nearby too. Shadow pulled of the bandages to inspect her wounds.

All the scars on her body were exposed to her. The slash from a sword in Spain, the arrow wounds from Scotland. And the many other lacerations and puncture wounds she had suffered from in her life. She was used to looking at those scars, they didn't cause her pain. Because she knew that she had given one just like them to whoever gave her those scars. And eye for an eye. A scar for a scar.

A life for a life.

Shadow looked at the newer cuts, the ones that hadn't healed yet. Bruises from the fall into the cavern, nicks and marks from the Whispering Deaths spiny bodies, and gashes from the giant albino dragon she faced.

How long had it been since she had seen one of those last? She was the only living person left to have seen two of them face to face. She had actually seen three, but the first one was from a distance because of how young she was.

Shadow continued to inspect her body for wounds and bruises, and she was slightly shocked to see black scales growing over her back. She shook her head to herself as she remembered giving in to her urges, her desires to transform so she could fight the Whispering Death's. The Black Moon dragon had taken more than she wanted to give. It had been a near full moon when she faced the white beast, so she had to blame that for the dragons' reason for breaking free. The full moon was when she was at her peak of strength.

The scales she thought could be hidden under her clothing, it wouldn't be seen and could add an extra layer of protection, that and it would cause her too much pain to get rid of them. And the scales always fell out when she transformed into her full human form, so the appearance of black scales all over the room or purposely hidden would make everyone more wary.

After checking her entire body for cuts and bruises, and changing her bandages, she got dressed in the clean clothes and ran her hands through her short hair to comb it. She froze.

Of course the horns would still be there, but she noticed that they were shorter than she remembered when she fought. The horns were always the last things to loose when she transformed. It was an inconvenience that she still had them, but at least her hair hid them well. They had protected the back of her head from attacks, so she thought they could stay too in case for any sneak attacks from behind, until she got her normal strength back.

Finally, she was bandaged and dressed, then her stomach demanded food. She stepped out of the door and went down the stairs to the kitchen. Hiccup and Toothless were there, the former making his own breakfast while the latter munched on some fish.

"Shadow, its good to see you up. You took quite a few nasty hits from the Screaming Death. Gothi came and patched you up after the fight." Hiccup explained. "In case you were wondering, Gothi asked me to take you to my house to rest. She didn't want to drag you all the way up to her hut, and my house was closest."

So that explained why she was here then. He passed her a bowl of porridge and sat down with his own at the table. They ate in silence for a while before Toothless wandered up to her.

He warbled and rumbled in Dragoneese, saying that he was worried for her after watching what she did. He wanted to make sure she was ok, and also wanted them to get along better, since their friendship before had been tense at best.

She had risked her own life – and only known by Toothless, she risked exposing herself – to save the entire village and the dragon riders. He expressed his gratitude by regurgitating half a fish he ate for breakfast.

Hiccup groaned at the dragons' antics, but Shadow understood the gesture. Without a word of complaint, she grabbed the slimy fish and took a large bite of the raw flesh.

Hiccup gaped at her.

"Haven't you ever had sushi before?" she inquired as she chewed. He shook his head not understanding. "It's just a dish found in eastern countries made with raw fish."

The two of them sat in silence for a while, trying to get their minds back into gear. Hiccup didn't fully comprehend what he saw Shadow do, and didn't understand what she did to drive it away. Surely, he thought, fire blasts from a dragon would do more damage to it than her human teeth and nails could. Granted she had unusually long and sharp teeth and claws and took it by surprise, but he still doubted what she did. He couldn't explain how she managed to drive it away.

Shadow was trying to come up with a lie or excuse to explain to Hiccup how she managed to almost kill the Screaming Death, but she couldn't come up with anything tangible. Her best bet was to dodge the questions when they came.

Hiccup wanted to ask all sorts of questions, in fact he was in the middle of questioning her before she ran off into the forest, and pretty much started the whole Whispering Death/Screaming Death issue. When he asked her certain questions, he noticed that she clammed up, especially when he wanted to know about the Black Moon dragon. She was incredibly secretive about it, and her link to it. It made him insatiably curious, but he realised now that if he became too forceful she wouldn't tell him anything.

He suspected that this mysterious link between the two of them may have something do with how she acts, fights and behaves in certain situations. He still didn't know what this link was, and he refused to believe the theory that the Gods were directly involved.

He decided that he would allow her to tell him in her own time, when she was comfortable. He would hint at the information but he wouldn't directly ask if it wasn't necessary.

After they ate, the three of them went outside and towards the academy. Everyone was on their way there and wanted to know what happened with Shadow. Once they arrived, Hiccup watched as Shadow retreated within herself, and he sensed that she didn't want to speak about what she did to that monster. Fishlegs tried to pester her about it, but she didn't relent. In fact, Hiccup saw her retreat further into her own mind.

He wanted as much as the others to understand what happened in that fight, but he understood better than them that she had to be wanting to talk to them about it, but he didn't exactly know how.

Everyone was tired after the events of the last few days, the outbreak of eel pox and the tough day of riding and searching, the fight with three hatchling Whispering Deaths, and the massive battle for their lives against the new Screaming Death, a dragon which they knew almost nothing about except their own observations.

They seriously needed a break. Snotlout was the one to first suggest this. Everyone agreed readily and Hiccup relented. Then the plans changed, and they wanted to go on their own little camping expedition.

Hiccup relented again.

The plan was that they would go to Dragon Island – the old home of the Red Death – and spend some time camping there to unwind.

After they decided the details, everyone went to grab supplies. Hiccup had gotten Shadow some more clothes and a bag to put her things in, and soon everyone was ready to leave. Stoick saw them off from the entrance to the academy.

The group of them flew off in the morning sun towards the island, excited for their camping trip and a chance to relax. Quite a few hours later, the island came into view and they began to search from the skies a place to stay.

They found the perfect place right next to a river with lush green grass and trees surrounding the clearing. It was large enough for them all and their dragons to move around without bumping into anyone. They landed and dismounted from their dragons, Shadow hopped off Toothless's saddle and grabbed her pack.

"You know Shadow, if you are going to stay with us at Berk, we will need to look into getting you your own dragon. I don't think you and Hiccup can double up every time we go anywhere." Comment Ruffnut. Shadow just chuckled and shook her head no.

"In case you haven't noticed, every dragon that comes near me becomes hostile, the only reason I get along with Toothless is because we reached a mutual understanding. We tolerate each other. And besides, I don't really get along with any other dragon, even your dragons still don't like me, they don't trust me and I don't trust them." She answered.

"But yea, hypothetically, if you could have a dragon, what kind would it be?" asked Tuffnut. Shadow thought for a moment.

"Well, technically I already have a dragon. The Black Moon. I don't think I would trade it for anything else."

"I still don't understand though. You said that where it goes, you follow. How exactly does that work? If you and the dragon follow the same path, shouldn't you two be connected like Hiccup and Toothless are, with it walking beside you?" asked Fishlegs.

Shadow could sense the questions coming, and she did her best to satisfy their questioning gazes without giving herself away.

"The dragon and I… don't fully get along. I follow it, yes, but we cannot walk side by side with each other. We are individuals. But we both understand the importance of each other, and we walk the earth together. Separate but as one to keep each other alive." She said.

It was the truth, the dragon always fought for dominance, it was a simple part of its instinct and nature so she didn't fight it that much. When in her human form, it was locked away and hidden, the opposite of what it is meant to be. It never liked the second rotation of the lunar cycle, but understood that it wasn't allowed to have full control, and it understood that she was important for it to keep it alive, as well as the rest of the species.

Her human form kept her alive in more ways than one, and it was grateful for that. They didn't get along sometimes because the dragon was locked away, but she allowed it to survive in this harsh and cruel world. It is for this reason that the dragon follows her, and why she follows it.

"You haven't really told us much about that dragon. I mean, you gave us a description of it, but, is there more you can tell us? I've been dying to put the Black Moon into the book of dragons. Could you tell us what its behavior is like, since you've seen it?" Asked Fishlegs curiously.

Shadow considered for a moment before speaking. As she spoke, the dragon riders set up their campsite.

"The Black Moon dragon is a very powerful creature, and it knows this very well. It is a being of strength and dominance, and will do anything to ensure this over any challenger. It mostly lives in solitude, constantly moving around from one location to another, but it will form alliances for its own benefit, however, it will always assume the alpha role. Not many creatures dare challenge it, but those that do have to follow their rules of combat, which consists of an intense stare-down and growls. The Black Moon considers itself, and pretty much is, one of the most deadly dragons in the entire known world. Its intelligence rivals a Night Fury, and it can think like a human can. As I said some time ago, it is very much like a Night Fury, but better in every way."

Toothless snorted his disagreement. The teens eyes were wide with wonder and admiration. Hiccup was still curious and saw his opportunity for learning more about the dragon.

"How would one challenge or stand up to a Black Moon dragon?" he asked her.

"If the dragon and a challenger were to get into a fight, and they wished to challenge the other for dominance, food, territory, a mate or anything they would have to go through a particular process. The opponent would hiss a verbal challenge in dragoneese to initiate the contest. The other would hiss the same word in reply, thus beginning the fight for the alpha role. The combatants would stamp their feet and stand in their strongest fighting stance, and one at a time would roar or growl at the other. The goal for them is to not flinch or break eye contact, and therefore yield to the victor."

"That is awesome. But, are you implying that dragons have their own language?" asked Fishlegs. He looked like he was going to faint from all this knowledge going to his head.

"Of course dragons have their own language. They speak Dragoneese, but there are also many different dialects because no two dragon roars are the same. But they share a common tongue and use it to communicate with one another and express their emotions. Some growls and hisses aren't even proper 'words' but carry strong meanings. I am fluent in their language and speak it as often as I do my own native tongue." She said. Fishlegs squealed with delight.

Even Hiccup was fascinated, and wanted to learn more.

"Can you teach us how to speak Dragoneese?" he asked. He couldn't stop the smile covering his face.

Shadow smiled in return. "Sure."

 **So after all that drama and a big fight, its time for some relaxing time. in the next few chapters, the gang will be learning more about Shadow and the Black Moon dragon, and maybe a few little tips and tricks along the way. :)**

 **i love hearing your reviews for this story, and would like to know what you think Shadow should tell them. her past? the kinds of people shes met? and I'm thinking of having a truth or dare game between them all for laughs, shits and giggles. send me questions, dares and answers that you want me to write in future chapters. thanks everyone who reviewed and read my story. love ya!**


	19. chalenging the Black Moon dragon 101

After they had set up their campsite, their bedrolls and furs laid out around the prepared fireplace, Shadow sat down with the others to teach them how to speak in the dragon's tongue. The twins and Snotlout weren't the best at imitating the draconic sounds, but showed some promise. Astrid was very good at recreating the hisses and growls needed to speak the language, but she had trouble making the lower pitched sounds like low rumbles and roars. Hiccup and Fishlegs were by far the best, Fishlegs being able to match the correct pitch for each sound, but Hiccup surpassed them all. He was soon forming coherent sentences that Shadow could clearly understand, even with his strange Night Fury like accent.

Once the other dragons understood what they were doing, they eagerly joined in with attempting to communicate. Soon, everyone was able to speak and understand simple phrases, with Hiccup beginning to have more complex conversations with Toothless.

After they took a break, Hiccup came back with a suggestion.

"Would it be at all possible to speak to and tame the Black Moon dragon?" he asked. Shadow lifted her eyebrows. "I mean, think about it. The new moon is in two weeks, and that's the time when it's supposed to return. What if we could speak to it, show it that we are friendly, and possibly tame it?"

Shadow was apprehensive of the idea. She knew how unpredictable the beast could be when faced with humans so early after the transformation, and she doubted it could go well if they sought it out. She voiced her opinion of the matter, but Hiccup didn't give up his idea.

After half an hour of discussion, Shadow sighed.

"How about I teach you what to do if you ever come across it and wish to live to see the next sunrise?" she suggested.

The others looked at her with an expression of perplexity, and she elaborated. "The Black Moon can be very unpredictable, especially around humans. If you don't know how to react properly it may very well see you as a threat and try to eat you, but if you know how to react and address it properly you might have a chance at living. I am willing to teach you this, but I cannot offer anything on how to train it."

They looked at each other for a moment and then agreed. Hiccup was chosen to be the first to learn. Shadow instructed him to stand and face her.

"What I'm going to teach you is how to react if you ever come across this beast. I would recommend running away before attempting this however, portraying yourself as a subordinate is the best way of getting it to leave you alone. If you intentionally show yourself as the weaker one in the equation, it should see you as not worth the effort to incinerate. But if you have no choice but to face it this is what you do." She said.

Shadow took a fighting stance and puffed out her chest, growling.

"Now, for this, I want you to imagine that I am the Black Moon, and I have perceived you as a threat. You want to make yourself appear to be my equal, and that your intentions are non aggressive towards me. Mimic my stance and copy what I do, with more intensity if possible."

Hiccup took a fighters stance and puffed out his chest. It was a pitiful achievement due to his small stature. But he produced an impressive growl.

Shadow stomped her front foot on the ground with a loud thud and Hiccup flinched.

"No. you cannot flinch. If you relent to its force, you've lost. Possibly your life if it chooses to kill you for it. You must not react to it at all. Show your dominance and strength."

She stamped again. Hiccup only blinked in surprise as her foot came down. "You cannot blink either. Again."

This time, when she stamped her foot, he didn't react. He was getting the hang of it. Then she snarled aggressively at him, baring her sharp teeth and he stiffened. "Do not react. Try again."

They did it two more times before he could stand there and take it without flinching. Then she instructed him to do it at her. His stomp was weak, but the growl showed much promise. She had him do it a few more times before he got it right.

She smirked at him mischievously at him before stepping forward with her back leg and stomping again, opening her mouth to snarl loudly at him. Hiccup was surprised at her hostility and took two steps back. He lost again.

This time, it many more tries before he was able to not flinch at her sudden movement.

"Remember, the Black Moon is a lot bigger than I am. Much bigger than your Night Fury is too. Its growls and roars will be a lot more ferocious than mine, so you have to take that into account." She smirked. "If you came across a hatchling, you _might_ have a chance."

He huffed at her and stomped again, surprising her with a loud roar of his own. He snarled at her for emphasis. Shadow was impressed, he caused her to take a step back.

She smiled and nodded, he was getting much better. She secretly hoped that he would never need to use this information, that she would be gone before he ever had a chance to see it. But she was glad that he would have a good chance at living if he was ever unfortunate enough to meet the great black beast.

They continued the challenge quite a few more times until she was satisfied. Hiccup could withstand her roaring at him, and could dish it out almost as good, but she wouldn't admit that. She explained to all of them that the challenge could go of for quite a while before one of the combatants yields to the victor.

Toothless walked up to her and mimicked her stance, initiating the challenge, but he warbled to her that he wanted to try it against her as a practice. She saw the glint in the Night Fury's eyes, he just wanted to have a little fun and copy his rider.

Shadow smiled and went up against Toothless, their low growls became hisses and then snarls, and the snarls increased in volume until they became full blown roars. Neither seemed to want to give up, but the sound of yips and munching caught their attention at the same time.

Terrible Terrors had been eating all their food while they were distracted. The little dragons realized that they were growling at each other and used their lack of concentration to get a free meal.

The teens groaned as they realized their dinner had already been eaten, and they were left with nothing.

"Well, do we want to go all the way back home for more food or what?" asked Snotlout.

Shadow narrowed her eyes curiously. "Why don't you just hunt for more food? I'd say that's the easiest option here."

Then she realised, none of them had proper hunting weapons. None of them could use a bow. Neither did they have one. She facepalmed.

"How do you guys even get meat in the first place? Do you just farm anything?" they nodded. "Can any of you hunt anything other than fish?" their heads shook.

Shadow sighed and stood up. Fishlegs called out to her and asked what she was up to. A few minutes later she came back with a few long, bendy branches and sat down with her knife...

 **this chapter was starting to get a bit long so I had cut it short. the next chapter continues directly after this. I didn't have much to do today so I just binge wrote the next three chapters. lol. anyway. rate and review! Pretty please.**


	20. past experiences (truth or dare)

"Looks like I'm going to have to go out hunting for you guys, and I can't exactly do that without a bow." Her hands expertly manoeuvred the knife over the wood, carving it into the right shapes.

"I didn't know you could shoot a bow." Said Astrid. Shadow just shrugged. "I can use a multitude of weapons. Had to learn as many as possible. Some places I've been to don't use weapons from other countries. You know what they say, when in Rome…"

"Uh, what?" said Tuffnut. Shadow took her eyes of the bow she was making. "Have you guys never heard of the saying? When in Rome, do as the Romans do?" they looked at her with blank expressions and questioning gazes.

"Pray that you never see Rome. It's a beautiful place, yes, but if you piss off the soldiers, be prepared to learn first-hand what it's like to fight in gladiator battles." She half mumbled.

"I've heard you speak of a few different places that we haven't even heard of, where exactly have you been in the world?" asked Hiccup.

She went back to her work of making the bow and shrugged. "I've been all over the world. The United Kingdom, saw many castles there. Scotland, hated there music. Sweden, they got good chocolate. I've been to Spain to see the bull fights, Italy and France for the scenery, even Transylvania for all the stories surrounding that place."

She shuddered at the last place she mentioned, not from fear from the things she learned, but from the last experience she had in that place. It had been kind of fun at the time thought.

Snotlout asked what happened in Transylvania. "Lets just say the inhabitants believed I was an evil spirit with lycanthropy and had connections to witchcraft."

She neglected to tell then that in a way, it was true.

Ruffnut asked what lycanthropy was, and Shadow promised to tell them later that night after the sun went down. She chuckled at her thoughts of them screaming at her ghost stories.

She spent another hour talking to them of the places she had been, as well as some of the people she had met and what became of them. All the while, she was strapping together the pieces of wood she had shaped together with leather strips.

She was almost done making the bow, and Astrid and Ruffnut were just about done with the arrows.

"What would you say was the closest you have ever come to being killed when in a new country?" asked Tuffnut. Shadow thought for a moment, there were many times in which she had come face to face with death. She wasn't sure which one to mention.

"Well… one of the closest times I have ever come to death would have to be… when I was in some southern country where it was always really hot. I had been accused of being a traitor to the king himself and tied to a whipping post. I had been given seventy lashes that covered almost all my body, and I had been left tied to the post with my injuries unattended to, and given no water. I was left there for three days.

"I got a seriously bad infection from the heat and flies, and was suffering from severe dehydration. I came incredibly close to death, and I almost didn't live to see the next sunrise. But I did. I got help, and I managed to escape. My wounds were treated, I got out of that city and managed to stay hidden until I was back to normal strength. Then I went back and assassinated the king."

Everyone gasped at how relaxed she said it, as if it was no big deal that she killed someone of such high status. To her it wasn't really a big issue, she killed all the time, the king had hardly been her first, and definitely not her last, and to be frank he deserved it. His rule was tearing the kingdom apart. She did everyone a favour.

Eventually, she finished the bow and quickly fashioned a quiver for the arrows, then she got up and went out onto the forest to catch them some dinner.

Shadow ventured into the forest of Dragon Island alone, since the others were not experienced with hunting. She used her highly sensitive nose to sniff out a wild boar and kill it quickly. She returned sometime later, the pig hefted over her shoulders, already been gutted and blead out.

The teens were impressed with her catch as well as her proficiency with the bow, and they asked what other weapons she could use while she carved up the boar to be roasted over the fire.

"Well, you already know I can use the bow and sword. I can also use a crossbow, but that doesn't require an awful lot of skill. I've used many types of swords before from the two handed broadsword, to the dirk, to the one handed gladiator sword. I've used spears, javelins, bolas, axes, maces, Warhammers and many others. The most unusual weapons I've used would have to be the voulge, deer horn knives and the scythe."

Astrid was the most impressed, some of those weapons she hadn't even heard of. She wondered why Shadow didn't carry any weapons on her, since she can use so many different types. She asked, but only got a vague answer saying, 'I always lose them. A month goes past and then poof, gone.'

The guys took care of the boar and set about cooking it, and soon the delicious smells of roasting meat wafted around the clearing. Everyone spent time talking with each other, especially with Shadow, who was opening up more and more about her past.

Finally the meat was done and they all tucked into eating. The meat was tender and covered in fat, but tasted divine on their tongues. They mostly ate in silence but occasionally someone spoke about something. Shadow didn't really pay much attention to small-talk.

After their food, they sat around the flames talking before one of the twins spoke up with a suggestion. "Hey, I got an idea. Let's play truth or dare!" they said. Everyone either groaned or heartily agreed. Shadow was one who didn't wish to play, but they all got dragged into it anyway.

Tuffnut went first. "Ok then.. um. Snotlout, truth or dare?"

"Dare. Truth is for wusses." He bragged.

"I dare you to stick your hand over the fire for as long as possible without screaming."

Snotlout's eyes widened, but he stood up and held his hand over the flames. He lasted about a minute before screaming from the heat and running towards the river.

"Oww. Tuffnut, I will get you back for this. Ok, umm. Astrid, truth or dare?"

Shadow was slightly supprised when she answered 'truth'. She expected the shield maiden to choose dare.

"Aww, you're no fun. Who would you rather kiss, me or Fishlegs?" he asked.

Hiccup held a hand over his mouth to hide his laughter. Astrid scowled and crossed her arms. "I would choose Fishlegs over you, Snotlout." He looked almost heartbroken at her statement.

Next it was Astrid's turn. "Ruffnut. Truth or dare?" the female twin instantly said dare. Not much of a surprise. "I dare you to breath in Barf's gas." She dared.

Ruffnut looked horrified for a moment, but went over to do it. By the time she came back, she looked about ready to puke.

She had a bit of a hard time talking, so she gave her turn to Hiccup. He looked around the group until his eyes landed on Shadow. She met his stare and didn't back down to him.

"Shadow, truth or dare?"

"Dare." She challenged. He grinned at her with that goofy lopsided grin of his, and she promised herself that whatever he dished out, she would get him back for.

"I think its time for you to show your gratitude to Toothless after he wanted to become friends…" Shadow stared at him curiously, trying to catch on to what he was saying. Then he continued. "I dare you to swallow a fish, then barf it back up again for Toothless. To show him how much you care."

Oh how she wanted to wipe that smug look off his face. He was just asking for it. That stupid grin of his would be the death of him.

Shadow growled and stomped over to a pile of fish left for the dragons to eat. She reached into the slimy pile and found a small one. Then she went back to her spot at the fire and sat down, before glaring at Hiccup again.

"Just so you know Hiccup, this is not what sushi is."

Then she tipped her head back and held the fish by the tail over her open jaw, and swallowed the little fish whole. Everyone cried out 'eww', Fishlegs and Snotlout dry heaving at the sight.

Shadow glared at Hiccup as he doubled over laughing. "I thought you said sushi was a type of dish from an eastern country made from raw fish."

"Not a whole raw fish you idiot." She spat back. Shadow then forced herself to regurgitate the fish from her stomach. In that moment she was reminded of that god dammed eel that caused her to get sick, and she actually threw up. The fish landed with a disgusting squelch and a flop.

Toothless bounded over and ate the fish happily. Everyone went 'eww' again.

Finally it was Shadow's turn. She called out Tuffnut, who called out dare. "I dare you to run right at that boulder head first and try to break it with your skull."

Ruffnut butted in saying that only she could make Tuff do stupid stuff, and turned it into a double dare, so that Shadow had to do it too. She just smirked and agreed.

Tuffnut got up and ran head first at the boulder with a yell. His helmet made a solid smack against the stone, but it didn't break. He stumbled away looking incredibly woozy.

"Ok then… you-your turn Sh-Shadow." He mumbled. She smirked and stood up. She silently thanked herself for having the horns hidden under her hairline. They were meant for things like this, well, more for head butting other dragons, but still.

She ran at the rock with her head lowered and collided with the rock with a massive crash. The boulder cracked under the impact. Shadow's head was perfectly protected thanks to her horns, and the ivory had absorbed the impact so she didn't have a headache at all.

Everyone gaped at her and she smirked. She didn't say a word at all, so Tuffnut went to have his next turn.

 **hahahaha. that was fun to write. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. :) rate and review!**


	21. Old scars (spin the bottle)

They continued the game for some time, people mostly choosing dare, but occasionally truth instead. For those unfortunate people who choose truth, it seemed that everyone was determined to find out who everyone liked. Poor unfortunate Hiccup was asked this very question at one point and blushed beet red.

Everyone became curious at seeing his reaction, and watched as his gaze flickered between two girls: Astrid and Shadow.

Everyone but those three burst out laughing. Hiccup buried his face in his hands and Astrid blushed slightly. Shadow just looked at him curiously, but said nothing. Unbeknownst to them, Shadow had many people think the same thing about her, but she never did anything about it and didn't really care.

They continued the game until they eventually ran out of truthes and dares to ask each other. It was getting late at night, but everyone was still up, and they had moved to sit in more comfortable positions. Everyone was either leaning against a rock, or sitting up in their sleeping roles.

Out of nowhere, the twins came up with another game to play: spin the bottle. For some unknown reason, everyone agreed to it, mostly because the stuff they were drinking earlier with dinner was not water, but stolen ale.

Their fuzzy brains made it seem that it was an absolutely brilliant idea. Those who were slightly drunk readily agreed to the stupid game, and those who were more sober were forced into playing. Shadow couldn't remember how she had gotten into this situation.

The bottle was spun around in the group, occasionally pairing two of the guys together, which made everyone laugh. Occasionally someone would forfeit and had to abide by the rules of missing a turn, by removing a piece of clothing. Shadow was holding the record for the amounts of times she skipped a turn.

After an hour of playing, and many awkward blushes and lost clothing items later, everyone was sitting – with a few items of clothing missing each – watching as Shadow spun the bottle.

Shadow was incredibly nervous now, she had almost used up all her 'skip a turn' cards, and was clad in nothing but her leggings and undershirt. She had taken off her boots, gauntlets and armour to avoid the game as much as possible and was starting to regret it.

She thought to herself that she may be forced to play this round, because the next item of clothing she would lose would be her undershirt, the only thing underneath was a large amount of bandages.

As she spun the bottle she wondered, what she would rather do: kiss one of the teens in their stupid game and humiliate herself, not to mention ruin her reputation, or would she rather remove her shirt and expose the bandages and the scar tissue strewn over her body. She just hoped that the scales on her back would be concealed.

The bottle spun around for agonizingly long moments before slowing down, and finally stopping. The poor unfortunate soul was Hiccup. Shadow's widened eyes met his for a few awkward moments. The other teens watched in anticipation. They all wondered what Shadow was going to do.

Long moments passed without anyone moving. Not even the dragons stirred. Shadow released a low growl of annoyance and lent forward slightly. Hiccup's eyes widened and he froze involuntarily. Her clawed hands reached forward, and grabbed the hem of her undershirt and pulled it over her head.

Everyone's eyes widened at the sight of all the bandages over her toned body, and the amount of scar tissue. There were puncture marks visible on her hip from a volley of arrows, stab wound marks from swords slicing her skin on her stomach, a healed gash over her right shoulder from what must have been an axe stroke and many more unnatural scars littering her body. Teeth and claw marks stood out on her skin in their neat little rows, and everyone shuddered at the sight.

They had no idea she had so many scars on her flesh, even more than some of their most seasoned warriors. They were both awed, and terrified.

"What kind of crazy life have you had in order to get that many scars?" said Fishlegs. Shadow looked away from them in discomfort.

"Crazy doesn't even describe it. When you have lived the life I have, the more accurate question would be 'how have I managed to survive this long?'" she said.

Snotlout spoke up. "Well, how have you managed to survive all those wounds?" he asked.

She looked at him with a blank stare, as if she felt no emotion at all. Her tone of voice made her sound like a heartless killer. "You feel no remorse when killing, and place your own survival as more important than the lives of others." She said with a deadly tone.

He shivered with fear under her cold stare. She looked away and down at her scars. She felt as if they didn't fully understand the kinds of situations she had been in where her own life was on the line. She lifted a clawed hand and traced a scar around her neck.

"You see this scar. I got this one when I was about to be executed for thievery. All I did was steal a loaf of bread because I hadn't eaten in days, but I was to be sentenced to death for it. That was one of the longest few moments of my life. The executioner had pushed me off the platform with a noose around my neck, and I only just managed to grab him and pull him down with me and steal his knife before snapping his neck before he could react." Those actions had ended up saving her life, but she killed a man because of it.

Everyone shuddered and some of the teens held a hand to their own throat.

"My life was more important than his, and I felt no remorse for killing him. Had I felt anything like regret or sorrow at that point, I wouldn't have felt life in my body a few moments later."

She saw all the blood in Fishlegs face drain away. His eyes were widened as he looked at the seasoned killer.

Shadow traced another scar, one that appeared to be a slash wound on her side above her kidney. "The man who gave me this scar, I killed in self-defence. Once again, it was my life on the line and he deserved to die. The man had ideas about making me his concubine, he gave me the option of submitting to him and his desires or being killed… I made my own third option."

Everyone's eyes were wide.

Next she pointed out a massive stab wound on her stomach. It had been one of the first scars that they noticed and wondered about, and it was by far one of the worst looking ones.

"Before I had gotten this scar, I been taken prisoner in Romania. Undoubtedly you have noticed my behaviour which is similar to a dragon." Everyone nodded. "Well this particular man thought I would make a nice pet because of it. He placed an iron collar around my neck attached to a thick chain, and would pull me around on this leash for entertainment. One day after I realised where the keys were for the collar, I had to get close enough to him in order to grab them.

Long story short, I went on a rampage attacking everyone and pulling him around, he unsheathed his sword with intentions to fight and kill me. He pulled the chain so hard and fast that I was almost yanked off my feet, and I had been impaled on his sword, which went right through me. I didn't even care. I stole the keys and slashed my claws across his throat."

Fishlegs, Tuffnut and now Snotlout looked like they wanted to throw up in horror. Ruffnut, Astrid and Hiccup were pale and shivering in fear.

Shadow was mentally reminded of the pain that she felt after the adrenaline wore off. At the time it was a miracle she survived at all, after being impaled and suffering from internal bleeding. She smirked to herself, despite all the problems and issues with the Black Moon dragon, it did have its perks.

Mainly the self-healing capabilities.

But as she thought to herself she had a notion, these teens thought of her as someone who didn't like being around people, who only looked out for herself and would discard others without a second thought. In the past, this was exactly her. The survival of the Black Moon species was paramount. But the kindness shown to her by these people made her think that there was more to her own life than her survival.

For many many years, she believed that her life didn't matter as long as she made it to maturity to carry out her duty, but being around Hiccup and the gang made her realise that there was a beautiful and adventurous life to be had, if only she learnt to trust people finally.

"Throughout my entire life, I have had to make many tough decisions. And I have done things that I am not proud of. A lot of the things I have done were completely selfish, and often, someone got hurt or worse. But I would still do it all again because those choices meant that I would live this long. I have an important destiny to fore-fill and there is nothing I wouldn't do to ensure that I succeed. I might sound like the most heartless person you have ever met, but I don't let that sort of thing get to me. I know who I am, what I am. And that is what I am like.

"Yes, I am a cold blooded killer, and yes, I am a selfish bastard. I am also an evil, manipulative and sadistic sonofabitch, and I don't give a crap at all about that. But I am also loyal, supportive and a friendly person sometimes, and I care about those who are worthy to be called friends. And I would fight to the death for the right reason, or for the right person."

 **Yay, 21 chapters! awesome. it seems that Shadow is starting to think differently about her life and those people in it. I wonder what she is going to do. her mentality is changing and it is affecting what she does and how she perceives others. Review how you think Shadow will act and what her behavior will be like in future. thanks :)**


	22. Nightmares

It was late at night when the sounds started. It began as grunts in the night of a creature in discomfort, but then it manifested into louder guffaws and snarls.

Hiccup woke suddenly in the night, wrapped in furs and lying on his bedroll. The sounds didn't stop when he sat up to survey the area. Some of the dragons were awake and looking for the source of the noise, and a few of the teens were stirring in their sleep as the noises penetrated their dreams.

A choking and suffocating sound echoed inside their camp, and Hiccup sat up to look for the source. Astrid, Snotlout and Fishlegs were slowly wakening, being alerted to the noise.

Toothless warbled in concern at the echoing sounds, and his eyes were widened as they searched the darkness. The teens got up and looked around, and looked at the others still asleep in their makeshift beds.

The twins looked uncomfortable in their sleep, as the noises entered their minds as they slept, and Shadow was sweating in her sleep.

As Hiccups eyes went over her form, Shadow lurched from a phantom force. She whimpered in her sleep and thrashed under the furs. Her eyes were tightly shut and her body was curled up, but she moved around as if she was fighting a battle in her dreams.

Everyone's eyes whipped over to her as she gasped in her sleep and rolled over. Her body convulsed painfully on the ground and her clawed hands swiped the empty air around her.

"… n- no… wh-wha-at a-are you d-doing…?"

She mumbled in her sleep. She was having a nightmare. She cried out again louder and grasped her shoulder in phantom pain. "…Hic-Hiccup… w-why are y-you doing t-this…?"

Everyone's eyes widened and they rushed over to Shadow's sleeping form and drabbed her arm and pulled it away as it drew blood. Her movements became more erratic as if she was being assaulted. Her head shook and her body twisted away from them, and she seemed to unintentionally hurt herself with the way her claws raked her skin. The teens grew frantic and did everything they could to hold her down, but it just seemed to irritate her more.

By this time, the twins had woken up and were groggily asking questions about what was going on, before their eyes landed on Shadow. They watched in shock as she cried out in her sleep.

"Hiccup… No, don't… I meant to tell you… I trusted you!" her sleeping body lurched forward like she had been kicked in the gut, and she struggled to breathe. Her eyes remained tightly closed.

"S-stay away!... I don't want y-you to hurt me, and I don't want to ha-have to- kill you…"

Everyone struggled to hold the girl down, her actions became more erratic as her dream version of Hiccup hurt her in unknown ways. They didn't know what he was doing to her, or what she was speaking of, but they were frightened all the same.

Hiccups eyes were widened like twin full moons as he witnessed Shadow in pain from himself. The dream version of himself. What was he doing to her? Why would he hurt her? These questions roved around his head as he watched her writhe in pain from invisible blows.

The night terror took on a new intensity as her gasps and cries turned into shrieks. Their only option to end her nightmare was to awaken her, but her eyes remained firmly closed.

"D-don't make me… do this. I don't want to have to k-kill you… p-please… I'm ashamed of my form… don't make me hate myself more…" she screamed in pain and swung her fist up in the air. It only just missed Hiccup himself, her claws coming too close to his face.

"… Don't kill me for… for what I a-am… I d-don't want t-to have to k-kill you t-too… Don't m-make me do it."

Tears rolled down her face as she pleaded with the nightmarish Hiccup who seemed to be torturing her. The teens were horrified at what they were hearing. What did she mean by her being 'ashamed of her form'? They did not know.

The night terror became worse and worse, with her breaking out of their grip to swipe dangerously at the air, or at herself, leaving gashes in her skin. Nothing would wake her.

"…N-n-no! No don't! Hiccup please!...No-" her voice cut off into a loud scream that shook to their very core. It was a scream filled with heartbreak and raw pain. It broke their hearts and shook their bones as she wailed helplessly against the onslaught of her nightmares.

The scream turned into a fear filled roar and she shot up out of bed, her jaw wide open and claws outstretched and she grabbed the closest person in an attack. Hiccup was grabbed in her clawed hands and pushed back with a yell. The still asleep Shadow came closer and closer until her fangs latched on to his shoulder, making him scream.

Her teeth sunk into his flesh and her claws threatened to rip the fabric of his clothes and she attacked him like an animal. Blood flowed out of the wound down his chest. Hiccup couldn't do anything but scream.

It seemed to wake Shadow up from her horrible nightmare, and her silver eyes snapped open in shock.

With a scream of horror, she leapt back and scurried away from him breathing fast and heavy. Blood dripped down from her fanged mouth.

Shadow looked absolutely horrified at what she had done, and what she had experienced in her mind, like her worst memories had been combined, with Hiccup as her tormentor.

Hiccup's shoulder hurt like hell, and his vision was foggy. Pain erupted in waves from the bite all the way down his arm, stinging like pins and needles. He had some trouble breathing from shock and it hurt to even move.

Astrid immediately was by Hiccup's side looking at the bite mark and trying to wipe the blood away.

"Hiccup, I am so sorry… I don't know what came over me… I don't- I don't know what happened." She stammered. Her face had gone white in horror, the crimson liquid contrasting brightly against her skin in the darkness.

Hiccup made a move to speak, but gasped in pain when Astrid touched the wound. Shadow saw and cautiously made a move over to him. Unknown to them, Shadow noticed a new problem with her nightmare fuelled attack, and she couldn't let herself sit by and watch as it hurt Hiccup more. It was her that caused it, and she had to fix it.

Pushing the horrible, disturbing thoughts of her nightmare Hiccup out of her head, she went over to him to assess the damage she caused. Hiccup flinched away from her claws when she reached out, and she froze.

"Hiccup. I'm so sorry for doing that… it wasn't me that did it… please, let me help you…" she pleaded. Her eyes were still wet with tears as she begged him. "… It's the least I could do…"

Slowly and precisely Hiccup allowed Shadow to approach him, like he was placing his trust into a wild dragon, which was exactly what he saw her as. She was wild, unpredictable, dangerous, and untameable. He didn't know if he could trust her after she attacked him like that, but she had been induced in a nightmare. And she was now trying to help him. She truly was a wildcard.

He decided to place his trust in her, for now, and test where her loyalties lie. She was offering to help him after inflicting the wound, so maybe she didn't mean what she said in her sleep.

Would she try and kill him if he did anything she deemed a threat?

Shadow approached cautiously and looked at the bite mark, _her_ bite mark. Just as she suspected, there was residue from her venom glands covering the wound, meaning there was poison in his system. She would have to neutralise it before it killed him. She immediately set to work, activating the anti-venom glands in her mouth and covering her fingers in it, before rubbing it over the sticky substance threatening to kill him.

Thankfully, Black Moon dragons could produce not only venom that could kill in a short number of hours, but they could also produce their own anti-venom to counteract the poison. It was mostly used as a backup to their venom, to have a better chance of killing their target even if they got help to counteract their venom. By using the anti-venom instead, and if the victim got help thinking they had been poisoned, a healer could make them overdose of the very antidote used to save them.

At least she had the means to save him now.

Everyone watched as she cleaned the wound with her own saliva, not understanding what she was actually doing. They knew that what she was doing was not the proper way of treating a bite. Fishlegs voiced this to her once he gained back the use of his voice. Shadow stared flatly at him with a dark glint in her eyes. He shivered involuntarily under her gaze.

"I understand that there are things about me, and things that I do, that don't make sense to you. But right now, I need you to understand that I cannot tell you anything. They will have to remain a mystery for now. Please… I know it's a lot to ask, but I need you to trust me and not ask these questions." She said sullenly.

No one knew what to say to this, especially Hiccup whose life was currently on the life at this point as he was forced to trust her. Shadow said no more and went back to treating the bite mark on Hiccup's flesh.

The aching throb in his arm dulled to a more manageable pain after the bite was thoroughly covered in anti-venom, and Shadow sat back on her haunches. She cast her eyes down at the ground.

"What kind of dream did you have?" Hiccup asked. Shadow tilted her head away from him and spoke softly.

"You had- you had found out about me… my biggest secret… you tried to kill me because of it…" Shadow shivered at the memory.

"My old self would have killed you in that dream as soon as you raised your weapon… but I couldn't do it… I couldn't kill you, even though you were killing me…"

The teens and their dragons listened intently as she laid her deepest fears bare before them. Shadow was clearly horrified at what happened, and after her saying that she couldn't kill Hiccup, their thoughts on her were changing. She was supposed to be a cold blooded killer. But she was terrified and disgusted at having to kill Hiccup.

They all had to mean something to her if she didn't just go straight for the kill. Could she be learning to trust them, and opening up to them? They hoped so, because they didn't know what they would do if she turned against them.

She was still wild and untamed, and she continued to see her own survival as the most important thing for her. But after this, they were beginning to think that her views were changing. She obviously couldn't kill the nightmare version of Hiccup, she didn't want to, and she begged him not to make her, but they were still unsure if it was a permanent change in her.

She did wake up claws and teeth bared in attack after all. Did she fall back on her old way and kill him in self-defense to end the dream, or was it something else? If a similar event happened in reality, what would she end up doing?

Shadow stood up and held her arms around herself. Her silver eyes, filled with new, raw emotion stared into Hiccup's forest green eyes.

"I am so sorry Hiccup… I don't know if you can forgive me for what I did… what I said… and I don't think I deserve your forgiveness… but I want you to know that I truly am sorry."

With that, she grabbed a fur from her bed and walked down to the river and sat down with the fur around her shoulders. Her head hung down on her chest and she retreated within herself while the water calmly flowed past, lulling her mind back into a state of calm.

 **woah, that actually took a while to write. I hope I managed to portray the amount of emotion that I wanted to. In this chapter, it is starting to become clear just how much Shadow is changing because of the gang. they opened up to her and now she cant help but do the same, but its hurting her. as seen in her nightmare, she is torn between her old nature, and her friendship with the gang. she doesnt know what to do now.**

 **Also, I would like to make a shout out to thatcrazyguy2 for their inspirational message about my writing. you my friend, rock! thanks for the message, it made me smile :)**

 **please leave a review on this new chapter and what you think may happen next. Im thinking of a chapter of just Hiccup and Shadow after this incident as they talk by the river. perhaps Hiccup will admit something to Shadow that he never mentioned to anyone else. and maybe Hiccup has scars too, just not from battles with his foes.**


	23. lineage

**warning: this chapter has content referencing self harm.**

Hiccup watched Shadow from a distance. The campfire had burned low and cast the area in a dark light. He could barely make out her form as she sat by the river, engrossed in her thoughts.

His shoulder still stung from her vicious bite. But her treatment of the wound seemed to be working. The pain was down to a manageable throb. The teens were wound up after the night terror, and they didn't know what to do. Sleep eluded them after the events that just happened, but there was nothing for them to occupy their minds with.

Hiccup didn't know what to think at this point. Shadow had been dreaming of him, but a nightmarish version of himself where he had been tormenting her, hurting her, torturing her. Shadow had been crying out in her sleep to him, begging him not to force her to kill him. Hiccup wasn't sure if she ended up attacking the dream version to stop him, or to kill him.

Hiccup wondered what it was that forced her to have that dream. She had said that she was ashamed of her form, and he had no idea what she meant by that. Her deepest secret had been revealed to him in that dream, and for some reason he had hated her for it and tried to kill her, and it made Hiccup wonder – not for the first time – what she was hiding.

It had to be something big, because if it was something minor, it wouldn't have caused her to lash out like that. He shivered at the recent memory of her claws swiping the air around her, and her sharpened teeth lunging for him.

He had to know. He had to know what it was.

Hiccup stood up, against the questions and protests of the other teens, and went over to where Shadow sat next to the river. He sat on the cold grass next to her hunched form, staring out at the bubbling river. They said nothing. She did not move as he approached, nor when he sat next to her. Her silver and unwavering gaze was locked onto the churning water before them.

Hiccup took a moment to look at her face, truly look at it, and memorise her features. Her skin seemed to almost glow in the darkness with the way it contrasted against the scenery, her pale face looked like the moon was casting its shine down on her. Her angular features and narrowed eyes made her look like a predatory animal. And her eyes, they seemed to glow unnaturally in the dark, their silver colouration looking like twin moons. Her dark short hair was ruffled from sleep and stuck out at odd angles, but it all seemed to be slicked back away from her face. Some parts of her hair looked solid. Spiked.

Her face turned towards his. "Hiccup, I'm sorry for what I did. I know that you may not forgive me for it, but I want you to know that I wasn't in my right state of mind. What happened in that dream was… unsettling." She said.

He looked at her with understanding. Then he cast his gaze back out to the water.

"You aren't the only one who has nightmares. I constantly get them, reminding me of the final moments of the fight with the Read Death. The moment when I lost my leg."

She looked down at the prosthetic in sorrow for him. Losing a limb was hard to deal with. There had been times where Shadow herself had been seriously hurt, but not as bad as what Hiccup had endured. He was similar to her in many ways.

"Its hardly the first scar I got though… but, those scars aren't from my enemies."

Shadow cast her gaze towards him and tilted her head curiously. Her eyes were searching, and bore deep into his soul. Without a word, Hiccup rolled up his sleeves.

Tiny white lines littered his skin, some old, some much newer. They covered the flesh of both his arms in a grotesque criss-cross pattern. Some had been shallow, but others were made with deeper cuts. There was no mistaking what made those scars. It had been Hiccup himself.

Hiccup stared at the marks in shame, and a few traitorous tears rolled down his face. This was Hiccup laid bare before her, his deepest secret revealed. He was letting her see the darkest part of his soul, the part that he hadn't shown his own father, or the people he cared about most. He was showing her, because he trusted her. Saw her as someone who he could really trust.

Shadow stared at the marks, her eyes full of compassion. She had no idea, that someone seemingly so strong on the outside, could feel so weak on the inside. Hiccup was strong in her eyes, despite his lanky form. His body did not reflect the soul she saw in him, but this part of him seemed so fragile. It just didn't seem like 'Hiccup'.

An eye for an eye. A life for a life… a secret for a secret.

"In that nightmare, you had discovered my secret, what I'm hiding. You had seen it as a major threat like so many people have before, and you tried to destroy it, destroy me. I tried to protect it, and myself… but you wouldn't stop. The only way to protect it was to kill you." She said. Her voice was barely above a whisper.

He gazed deeply into her glowing eyes, and whispered back. "What are you hiding? What would cause me to turn against you?" he pleaded. His voice was begging. He wanted to know what was causing her pain, what caused him pain.

"I'm hiding a dragon. The Black Moon. I have been protecting it all my life, since it was just a hatchling. It has always been my job to keep it alive, but those who see it attempt to kill it. Its survival, my survival is paramount. Above all else it has to survive, and in the past, anything that even attempted to do so had to die… but when you tried to kill it in that dream, when you tried to kill me, I couldn't kill you."

She sighed heavily as she let it all out. "There is something about you, something different from everyone I have ever met, that is stopping me from being able to cut ties with you if you turn. My emotions and feelings of you as my friend are getting in the way of the protection of the Black Moon dragon. And it scares me."

Hiccup sat and processed this information for some time. This explanation showed why she was so erratic and aggressive when they tried to learn about that dragon. She was protecting it from them. Stopping them from learning too much. She had thought for every part of her life that if people knew too much, they could use that knowledge to stab her, or the dragon, in the back.

"I know this dragon is very important to you, but I believe there is something else to it. What makes this dragon in particular so important? What makes it so essential that you would defend it with your own life?" he asked.

"Your Night Fury, do you know who his sire is?" she asked. Hiccup shook his head.

"Have you ever wondered why there aren't any other Night Furies around? Even in the nest where Toothless lived for the beginning of his life?" again, Hiccup shook his head.

Shadow took a deep breath and sighed. "The Night Fury is technically a genetic defect. Toothless is a part of a hybrid species. The Black Moon dragons are the Night Fury's ancestors."

Hiccup's eyes went wide. Wider than they ever had before at this new information.

"Toothless, and every other Night Fury in existence, is the result of a Black Moon dragon and a Skrill becoming mates. That's why a Night Fury is so rare, because one side of its lineage is almost impossible to find, and the number of mated pairs is even fewer."

Hiccup's mind swam with this new information. His head hurt with the amount of thoughts flowing through his brain. His breathing became ragged and uneven and he rocked back and forth on the ground, his eyes staring forward. Shadow gazed at him for a moment, before touching his back to calm him down. His breathing evened out.

"This is why I have kept this secret for so long. Not only can a Black Moon produce a Night Fury offspring, but the Black Moon in itself is enough to obliterate an army single handed. It is an extremely dangerous creature, but in danger of annihilation as well. I've had to keep it hidden all this time to keep its lineage alive, as well as the potential to create a proper bloodline of Night Furies. The Night Fury is the next stage of its evolution, and I have had to help it."

Shadow took a shuddering breath after her speech. All those secrets, exposed. He knew why she was hiding it. Why she had killed for it. The only thing he didn't know, was how she was hiding it. And that was something she didn't want to tell.

She still feared what he would do if he got a hold of the Black Moon dragon. He would have the potential for an army of Night Furies at his command. That sort of power could get to anyone's head. Sweet innocent Hiccup, fearsome warrior Astrid, or even fearful and intelligent Fishlegs. That amount of power could drive them mad.

She trusted him with this knowledge, but not with her precious black beast. She didn't want to see him corrupted by the beast, nor have him try to kill her or it because of its sheer power. Power that could reduce the village of Berk to a pile of toothpicks if it saw fit.

Suddenly, her life seemed even more bleak and lonely.

 **Dun Dun DUUUUUUUUUN. the secrets have been revealed. but not all of them, not yet. they still don't know that Shadow is the Black Moon dragon, and they wont know for a little while still. there is still more time I have to kill. after this little camping experience, they will all return back to Berk. after that, I am not certain of any plot details. I need to think of a good enough reason as to why all the dragon riders and Shadow would be away from the village on the night of the new moon. that's when all sorts of shit goes down. but they specifically need to have a reason for leaving that night. I need inspiration. Please review your thoughts.**


	24. a Night Fury army?

The sun broke over the tops of the trees on dragon Island, creating a beautiful morning glow. The dragons and their riders stirred in the makeshift camp as the light penetrated their dreams. After many yawns and stretches, the camp's inhabitants got up to start the day.

As soon as Hiccup had fully woken, he grabbed his prosthetic and strapped it on. His mind was foggy with dreams as he went through the task. The thoughts and memories from the night before made him fumble around with the strap.

Hiccup's dreams had been filled with dragons, and new possibilities. They were filled with plans for the future, and thoughts of the past. He still fully couldn't believe what the mysterious girl, Shadow had said about his dragon. A hybrid. Toothless, and the entire species of Night Furies were hybrids. The combination of the Black Moon and Skrill genes. It was extremely difficult to comprehend.

The aforementioned girl, was currently sleeping in a tree. Her bed hadn't been to her liking, and she longed for the comfort of the great black beast. The branch she was currently resting on was more comfortable than others would think.

Hiccup stared up at her, wondering many things. Like how could she sleep so soundly high off the ground and on something so uncomfortable? And what else did she know? What else hadn't she told him?

Astrid's call for breakfast dragged his attention away from the wild girl. She had reignited the fire and was setting about cooking food for the group. He quickly went over to help her. The smells of the food brought hunger to everyone's eyes, and quite a few stomachs grumbled. Once the meal was ready, he handed everyone their portion, leaving Shadow's food by the fire since she hadn't woken up yet.

"So what's the plan for today?" asked Snotlout. The group hummed in thought.

"I think we should head back home just after lunch. I got some stuff back at the forge I still need to complete." Said Hiccup. "As for what to do while we are still here, I'm not exactly sure."

The others thought for a moment. Then Ruffnut came up with an idea. "We could go swimming in the river. Its not too cold. Plus some of you boys reek."

Snotlout looked offended, but smelt his arm just to be sure. He almost lost his breakfast. He nodded in agreement.

"Hiccup, if I may ask, what exactly did you and Shadow talk about last night?" asked Fishlegs who was curious as always. Hiccup tensed, he didn't know if he should mention what Shadow said. But they were a team, so they should know.

He decided to leave out certain things though. He didn't wish to tell them exactly what she showed the girl which convinced her to talk.

"She told me about her nightmare. About how I tried to kill her after her secret was revealed. But she was afraid, afraid that she couldn't kill me. She told me that other people had tried to kill it, or kill her, and she killed them without hesitation… but when I tried to in her dream, she couldn't do it." He said. The others listened in wrapped interest. None of them noticed Shadow stirring from her bed in the tree.

"She told me how strong the Black Moon dragon is, capable of wiping out entire armies on its own. But it is also in danger of annihilation, its numbers being drastically low."

Shadow's eyes cracked open and stared at him, watching as he told them what she had spoken to him. She wanted to know how much he would tell, how much he would keep a secret. She didn't know what she would do if he told them everything.

Hiccup's eyes were cast down at the grass under his feet. He was contemplating telling them what she told him about Night Furies. Should he tell, or not? But before he could decide, Astrid noticed the thoughtful look on his face. She knew there was more to be said.

"Hiccup, there was something else wasn't there?" she asked. But it sounded more like a statement. He nodded.

"She told me secrets. She told me where the Night Fury really comes from… that it is a hybrid species."

Fishlegs eyes went wide and his jaw dropped. "What?" he cried. Shadow tilted her head around at the noise. The still didn't notice.

"Shadow told me that the Black Moon dragon is the Night Fury's ancestor. Its sire. That by combining the genes of the Black Moon and a Skrill produces a Night Fury offspring."

Hearing this, Shadow sat up on her perch. He was giving away too much. A rumbling sound started in the back of her throat. Hearing that information would give them ideas, and she couldn't let them get out of hand. People had tried before, and it never ended well, for anyone.

"The Night Fury is created by intermixing dragon species?!" cried Fishlegs with glee. "Oh Thor. Imagine the possibilities! Imagine crossing the spines of a Nadder with the flaming body of a Monstrous Nightmare. Or the colour changing skin of a Changewing with the intense speeds of a Speed Stinger. If the Night Fury is possible, imagine what else is!"

"But what about the possibilities of more Night Furies?" said Snotlout. Everyone froze. It was brilliant. They had the makings for a squadron of Night Furies at their disposal. The Black Moon was out there somewhere, and that Skrill was right were Hiccup left it. They dreamed of what it could mean if they were able to breed the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself. Breed an army of them.

"No!"

Everyone froze. Shadow growled and leapt down from the branch, landing on her hands and feet like a cat. She stood before them, looking like a powerful figure, with her back straight and her head raised. She looked like the representation of an army general, or even a queen.

"You cannot use the Black Moon to create Night Furies." She simply stated. Her words were lased with finality.

Hiccup stood in challenge. "Why not?" he asked, but it sounded more like an accusation.

"I am the guardian of the great black beast, and I say that you cannot. You have no control over it, nor do you have any claim on it. So therefore you cannot _use it_ to create your own army." She snarled.

"It might be your dragon, but have you thought about Toothless? He's been all alone for his entire life. Why would we pass up the opportunity to give him a family?"

Shadow growled. "You don't understand. Even if you could breed a Night Fury, he couldn't have it as his mate! And do you intend to use that beautiful beast as a factory for your hatchlings?" she spat. "You would have it produce offspring like a common dog?!" she screeched.

Hiccup realised the mistake he made. His stomach dropped and the blood drained from his face. "Shadow, we didn't mean it like that. Of course not." He hopped that the sincerity in his voice and eyes were enough to convince her. She calmed, but only slightly.

She took a deep breath and calmed her raging blood before speaking. "Did you even consider its own age? It hasn't even reached maturity yet, so how would you use it to breed a bloodline of Night Furies?"

Fishlegs tilted his head in curiosity. "How old is it anyway?" he inquired.

"It is still two centuries from full maturity, but it is currently three hundred years old." She said calmly. His eyes went wide.

"You cannot force the Black Moon to create any offspring, it will not yield to force. And you especially cannot force it to breed like a farming animal, not while it is as young as it is. You will get no Night Fury hatchlings from her until at least two hundred years from now. And I will definitely not show it to you if you intend to use it like that."

With that, Shadow lunged down and grabbed the fish that had been left for her breakfast, practically swallowed it whole, and marched off to a secluded spot by the river to bathe.

She felt disgustingly filthy at their words. If only they knew what they were implying. If only they knew what their plans would mean for her.

Back at the camp, Hiccup never even realised the connection between their conversation the night before, and the dragon's age. He never connected the dots between how long Shadow had said she looked after the dragon, and the three centuries of its life.

It was doubtful he would figure it out before it was too late.

 **Woah, that was intense. let me know what you think :) and how should Hiccup apologize to Shadow? Favorite and review.**


	25. marked as mine

Shadow stormed away from the camp towards the river. How dare they? They dared to think that they could use the Black Moon to create an army of Night Furies. Did they seriously think that it would produce offspring like a factory?

They disgusted her. They didn't even have any idea what they were saying about her. Shadow shivered in disgust. Her skin felt filthy. The scales on her back itched with repugnance, as if she had been violated.

She needed to try and wash away the invisible filth she felt and decided that a bath would be the best thing. Finally, she found the best spot, surrounded by trees and rocks by the river. Completely hidden from sight.

Shadow pulled off her shirt and undershirt, revealing the bandages strapped around her form. Next she tugged off her leggings and everything else, then set about unwrapping the bandages.

The cuts and wounds from her fight with the Whispering Deaths and the Screaming Death had healed, leaving fresh scars on her skin. Every other scar stood out on her flesh, but the angry red scar tissue from the more recent ones stood out more against her pale white flesh.

She looked at the scales on her back, pitch black armoured chainmail like pieces, protecting the weak parts underneath. They stretched over her shoulders, up her neck, all the way down to her lower back and around her ribs. The skin underneath and some of the closer areas had turned a sickly looking ashen grey, but most of her body was still its normal pale colour.

Still looking over her shoulder, she checked the area. Not a single person, dragon or animal in sight, and her nose told her the same thing. She huffed in satisfaction and went over to the water. It was cold against her skin, but not unpleasant.

She swam around for a few minutes before stopping and leaning up against one of the boulders submerged half way in the water. She could see dirt and sweat covering her body, so she used her hands to scrub it away as best she could. She worked quickly and efficiently at removing the grime from her skin.

Shadow dived under the water, feeling the cold rush around her head. It was very refreshing. When she came back up, her short black hair was flattened against her head, and exposing her small ivory horns.

All six of them, linked in pairs at the back of her head, each one acting like a spearhead crossed with a Warhammer. Usually she didn't have them visible, nor the scales on her back, but after her recent partial transformations, it was too painful and too risky to try and get rid of them. Her hair, when dry, could easily conceal the horns, so it didn't matter so much. The teens couldn't see them if she kept her disguise well enough. And there was no way they would see the scales on her back either, as if she would allow them to sneak up on her with them visible.

No, she thought, they would not be able to notice.

She continued bathing for a while, and heard the sounds of splashing and laughter not too far away. The teens had decided to go swimming. Shadow was fine with this, as long as they didn't get too close to her while she was here.

Hiccup and the gang practically ran to the water. They were all eager to go swimming in the crystal clear waters and relax. As soon as they made it to the bank, everyone started pulling off items of clothing. Snotlout and Tuffnut were the first ones to dive into the water, wearing nothing but a pair of shorts, but were met with the hard bottom of the river. They groaned in pain as their rear ends hit the rocky ground under the water.

Figures, it was shallow. The girls and Fishlegs laughed at them. They finished getting undressed and went into the water along with them, wading into the deeper parts before diving under. It was still far too shallow for proper swimming, so they all decided to move down stream further.

Unbeknownst to them, Shadow was still bathing a bit further down the river.

Everyone swam around, enjoying themselves and the cool water. They splashed each other and pushed their heads under to surprise them. Everyone was having a great time. Hiccup swam around underwater for a while, practicing how with only one leg. He still wasn't good at swimming, but was determined to get it right.

When he resurfaced, he realised that he was quite a few meters away from the gang. His amputated leg was getting sore, so he sat down on one of the submerged rocks.

He had been sitting there, watching the others for a few minutes when he heard something. The sound of waves made by something moving in the water. Curiously, he snuck around the boulders to spy on whatever it was that was lurking in the water. His face had barely made it around the large rock before he froze.

He couldn't make out what it was, but all he knew was it had scales. It was hidden in the shadows well, but it looked like it had black ones. He could only just see a section of flesh covered in the natural armour from his vantage point, but he was sure it was a dragon.

But what exactly was it? It hadn't detected him yet, and if it did, it would most likely run away before he could identify it, so he crept around ever so slowly. Now he could make out a head, completely black, with horns. Six of them on the back of its head.

His eyes widened.

Could it be? After all this time waiting, wondering where it was hidden, was this the Black Moon dragon he longed to see? Hiccup tried to step further around to see it better, but his foot slipped. He had no prosthetic on, so he couldn't stop himself from tripping before splashing face first into the water.

The loud splash spooked whatever it was, and it bolted deeper into the shadows before he brought his head back up. His head broke the surface of the water with a gasp, the creature was gone.

"Hiccup! What are you doing here?" it was Shadow.

Hiccup turned to where her voice came from. She was hiding behind a large rock, with her head in the shadows. She looked frightened.

"Shadow? What are you doing?" he asked.

"What do you think I'm doing?" she answered. He could see her eyes narrowing.

"The gang decided to go swimming, and I sat down to rest just over there. Why are you over there, why don't you join us?" he said calmly. Shadow hid further in the shade that the undergrowth was providing.

"That's not such a good idea right now." He tilted his head curiously. She saw his expression and sighed. "What do you think someone does when they take a bath?"

It took him a few moments to realise what she meant, and his face blushed bright red. Stammering, he coughed and turned around so she could get out of her hiding spot and over to her clothes.

He heard her moving through the water and didn't turn around, fearful of what she would do if he saw her in her current state. He decided that he could take his mind of that if he apologised to her for what had been said earlier.

"Uh, Shadow. I want to apologise for earlier. It was stupid and selfish for even thinking that. My mind got ahead of logic and I can see it greatly upset you. I'm really sorry. I know you have cared for that dragon for its entire life, but I let my own selfish desires get in the way of thinking of the effort you put in to caring for it. I am truly sorry."

She stopped moving through the water at his words. She could sense the sincerity in his voice, and knew he meant what he said. Very slowly, she went over to him, he heard her approaching and dared not move. He did not want to anger her by moving an inch.

"I should have taken into consideration everything you worked for before even thinking of anything else." She was getting closer, yet she did not speak a word. His mouth became dry, thinking that she still wasn't happy with him.

He attempted to speak again, to keep apologising, but she got closer and closer to him, making him shiver. He felt her hot breath on the back of his neck when she stopped right behind him. His breath hitched in his throat from fear. He was stuck, trapped, and completely at her mercy. And they both knew it.

He dared not move, in fact he couldn't. His muscles froze in fear, his heart hammering in his chest. He shivered again when another warm breath tickled the back of his neck.

The great black beast inside Shadow's mind was revelling in all this, with him at her mercy. The beast basked in her control over him, the way he was frozen in front of her made it think of the glorious power it held.

"You are a very strange human." She said lowly. Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Others have tried to take the Black Moon, and exploit it without mercy. Or take advantage of me. None have ever apologised as sincerely as you."

Her clawed finger lightly grazed his back, right down his spine, making Goosebumps appear all over his body. He was completely at her mercy, and could do nothing about it, even if his body could respond. She revelled in her control over him.

"You broke part of my trust by telling them, but I can forgive you for that, they are your team, your clan. You work together as one… You are slowly gaining my trust, but how can I be certain that you won't do anything to me, or the dragon?" she asked in a low tone.

Hiccup's breathing hitched again as her breath came closer to his neck and her claws raked down his skin, igniting it on fire. The black beast growled within her with desire, the desire to manipulate him to her will.

"I would never do anything to hurt you. Or the Black Moon… I care too much." His throat closed up at those last words. He hadn't been in control of himself when he said them. Her touch was making him go insane. He couldn't think straight.

Shadow was curious about his words, but she knew that she was causing his reactions. She leaned in closer, her teeth right next to his ear.

"What would you do for me? To make me trust you?" she asked.

"Anything." Was his immediate and breathless reply. His mouth was out of his control. It was like he was hypnotized by her. She growled appreciatively. The sound ignited the blood in his veins. His brain was foggy, he couldn't think straight, his body was frozen yet tingling from her touch and her voice.

Shadow could see his inner torment, with the way his taught muscles reacted to her touch, the way her breath altered his voice. She loved watching him squirm. It made her feel powerful again. She had him at her every command.

"Would you pledge yourself to me? Promise your loyalty?" she crooned.

He could barely speak with her fangs so close to his neck, driving him mad. He could only nod, and struggle to keep his body still from fear. She was awe-inspiring and terrifying at the same time. Hiccup had no idea what she would have him do, but right now, he would do almost anything. But whether it was from raw fear, or something else, he couldn't tell.

Shadow had him wrapped around her little finger, and could ask him to do anything for her. There were so many opportunities here, which one would she choose?

And would she really place her trust in him for a few promised words? The great black beast told her not to trust him without proof. It wanted something to solidify his loyalty, and to believe that he would keep his promise. It was all well and good to have him as hers, but it would do no good if he turned.

What could she do? She wondered. Would she really risk her trust, and therefore her life? She wasn't sure. The black beast inside her mind whispered something, and she grinned wolfishly. She could mark him.

This could work out well in her advantage. Let it never be said that Shadow was not a manipulative person when she chose to be.

"In exchange for my trust, I want your loyalty. Your life." She murmured. "Allow me to call upon you once when I need you to protect me from harm, and in exchange, you have my eternal trust. Within reason of course."

Bother her clawed hands raked marks over his shoulders and down his back. Hiccup's body was on fire and so many emotions went through his head. He wanted to turn around, gaze into her eyes, and look over her body. But with a great amount of self-control, he stayed where he was. Rooted to the spot.

"W-what does that mean?..." he groaned. His eyes closed in contentment with the way her claws scratched his back and lit his flesh on fire.

Shadow growled appreciatively. "It means, that if I want you to, you have to lay down your life for me. If I was to be trapped, or hunted, and I call on you, you would have to defend me with your very life."

Her words enchanted him entirely. The feeling of her breath on his skin, and so sensually near his ear, made him putty in her hands. He was helpless to resist, and couldn't deny her what she asked. Shadow's fangs strained to mark him, make him hers to command.

Hiccup, so entranced by her, as if by magic, nodded and agreed to her terms.

Shadow snarled lowly and lunged forward, driving Hiccup towards a large boulder and pinning him to it. His hands were splayed in front of him, stopping his face from hitting the rock, but the rest of his body was pressed up against it, with Shadow stopping him from moving. The movement was sudden, and Hiccup didn't understand what was going on until Shadow whispered by his ear.

"Just a little something to bind you to that contract…" she growled. The great black beast strained for control, to come to the surface, it growled and thrashed within her mind as it fought to lunge forward onto him.

Hiccup was completely helpless, and could do nothing as her mouth opened, and bared her fangs at his heated flesh. She stretched forward, extending her fangs to bite down on his shoulder and mark his body. The dragon within her snarled with pleasure as her teeth bit down, tasting his blood and marking him. Hiccup groaned.

He was hers to command.

 **Woah, that was a big chapter. I hope you enjoyed it, although honestly I have no idea what kind of reaction it will get from my readers. I would appreciate it if you left a review on it and let me know what you think. Sorry for the later update, I was away on a tourism camp and had no access to my computer. but I hope this long chapter makes up for it.**

 **so yea, thanks. favorite and review!**


	26. manipulative and heartless wyrm

Everything after the events with Shadow in the river became a massive blackout for Hiccup. He couldn't remember anything that happened after she bit down on his shoulder and marking him, in fact, he would have dismissed it as him hallucinating if there wasn't a few puncture marks on his flesh that could only be made by her fangs.

He looked at the mark and traced his fingers over it, to ensure that it was really there and it actually happened. It did happen. He let her do it to him. He wanted her to be that close to him. He guiltily loved the way her claws grazed his back, and the way her teeth scoured his neck.

It was a horrible, guilty pleasure that he should feel repulsed by, but privately shivered with delight when replaying those moments. He shouldn't have liked it, he shouldn't have liked the pain she gave him when she sunk her fangs into his shoulder, but he did. And it was concerning.

People didn't act like she did, it was unnatural, wild, feral behaviour. She acted so much like an animal, something that should repel people. Hiccup found this behaviour endearing and interesting. She was strange and unique.

He was attracted to her draconic behaviour, and so desperately wanted to know why she was like the way she is. What made her act that way, what made her torment him like that, what made her mark him, how could she manipulate him so spectacularly? Oh how he wanted to know.

She truly was a sight to behold.

The way she acted was always so strange, with the way her behaviour matched that of a dragon, and Hiccup wondered how much of a connection there was between her and the Black Moon. Even though he had never seen it, he was sure that she acted so much like it, it was uncanny. She had spent so much of her life around that creature that she would have picked up some of its characteristics, but he had no idea exactly how long she would have had to be exposed to it in order to naturally act like that.

He wished he could ask her, ask all these questions. He wanted so desperately to learn from her, learn about her, and find out just who she really is. But he didn't know how she would react to his questions. She had reacted badly in the past to his prying, in fact, it lead to the discovery of a nest of Whispering Deaths. And he knew just how well that turned out.

His gaze was dragged back to the mark on his flesh left by her. He had been marked, and bund to her in a contract. He mightn't know exactly what it meant, but he was sure that he was bound to it forever, until she cashed in what he promised her.

His own life to save hers.

She wanted to trust him, but so many years of being betrayed, turned on, abandoned and handed in left her to become a very untrusting person. She never liked getting too deep into anything without an escape route. That's what the mark represented. Her escape.

She had played her cards well, and manipulated him into having him be her human shield to save her own skin when she needed it. Hiccup could understand her reasoning, but he was still slightly upset about it. She would trust him more now, but she would probably never trust him completely without this escape.

But she had given him something worthwhile. Her eternal trust, for one time of service. He could use her trust to learn more about her, and she could only ask of him to save her once. To Hiccup, it almost seemed like he got the better deal. On Berk, the chances of her needing protection from him in a life or death situation would almost never happen. He was sure that he got the benefit of the doubt.

"Hiccup, are you ok? You've been sitting there staring into space for a while now." Called someone. It was Astrid. She looked at him curiously as he was lost in thought.

Hiccup shook his head to clear it and smiled at Astrid. "Yea, I'm alright. Just thinking." He said Astrid smiled in return and pulled him along to where everyone was packing up their stuff to head back home. Bags were being stuffed with equipment, and saddlebags were being filled and attached to saddles.

Hiccup went to his belongings and put everything neatly in the bags, just as Toothless came over to him, ready to have the saddlebags attached. But as the Night Fury got closer to him, his eyes became slits and he sniffed him curiously. Hiccup wasn't normally alarmed by this, but the way Toothless looked absolutely possessive over him made him feel slightly apprehensive.

Suddenly, Toothless whipped his head around to Shadow and growled at her. The dark and shadowy girl raised her head as the dragon spoke to her.

Hiccup desperately tried to translate what was being said, but his knowledge on dragoneese was still limited and he couldn't translate everything. The other dragons however, could easily understand what was being said. The other teens watched, fascinated as the black dragon and the girl talked.

 _'How could you do this to my Hiccup?'_ growled Toothless in dragoneese.

 _'He … for me to trust him. I asked that he… in … for my trust.'_ Growled Shadow in response.

 _'You … him! You … him into a … that he doesn't … … You … him to your …!'_ retorted the dragon. Whatever he was talking about, he wasn't happy about it.

By the looks of it, the teens could barely understand what was going on between the two, and could understand even less about the actions that occurred beforehand that was causing the Night Fury to have a go at her.

 _'I've learnt to never trust … without an … How is this any …? By not fully trust… … I have managed to stay alive this long. He … to know more about me, but I can't just … trust him … doing so would put my life at risk.'_

Toothless growled unintelligibly. Shadow growled back.

 _'You had better not use my Hiccup as a … … to save your own … hide. I know what you are, what your … do to others. You will not do that to my Hiccup. You hurt him, and I will … you. I don't care what you can … into. You are still a … and … … in my eyes.'_

With that, Toothless huffed and turned away from Shadow, who gave him an obviously rude hand gesture.

"Uh, what just happened?" asked Fishlegs. Shadow turned to him. "Toothless just called me a manipulative and heartless wyrm, no biggie." Then she went back to packing up her things.

They all knew that there was more to that conversation – especially Hiccup – but she said nothing, and they were slightly too afraid to ask.

The ride back to Berk was uneventful to say the least. The dragons, who understood everything that Toothless and Shadow said, were ignoring her, and the teens were simply riding in silence. Shadow was sitting behind Hiccup on top of Toothless – who refused to acknowledge her at all.

Long. Awkward. Silence.

Hiccup could sense the tension in the air, which was figuratively thick enough to cut through. The silence was killing him. Eventually, he decided to risk it and attempt to talk with Shadow.

"Uh… umm… hey, Shadow… uh…" stupid, he thought. He couldn't even form words. She tilted her head curiously at him, wondering what he was trying to say.

"I, um… I was wondering… what exactly happened between us… at the river?" he timidly asked her. He could see her blank expression and tried to elaborate.

"You see, I don't fully understand what you did. I don't know why you did it or what it means."

Shadow hummed to herself for a moment before speaking.

"I forced you into a contract. You wanted something from me which I couldn't just give to you. I manipulated you into promising me something in return." She said.

Toothless growled at her, then ignored her entirely.

"Toothless doesn't like what I did, because I manipulated you into the deal. I used my skills to practically hypnotise you into agreeing to my terms to get what I wanted from you. You wanted my trust, but I didn't want to give it to you… not without a way out of it."

It was starting to make sense. Shadow had lived a long life and came across many untrustworthy people, who most likely got her to trust them and then used that information against her. She was used to people betraying her, and didn't want to risk it happening with him. She wanted to trust him, but her past experiences told her to never fully trust someone.

She had learnt to always have a way to cut ties with people if they turned. She knew to always have a way out.

"I really want to be able to trust you Hiccup, completely and utterly. But I have lived for decades in a world where everyone is against me, and I can never be certain of who to trust. I have learned from many past experiences to always have an escape route. And even though you are the most unique person I have ever met, I don't trust myself to be completely open with you, without fear for my life." She said.

She tore her gaze from his and looked out towards the horizon on top of Toothless's wing.

"The one person, the one thing which I have always been able to trust is the Black Moon. It taught me how to survive, it taught me its ways, its culture, its secrets. The Black Moon is the reason I am still alive at this point. It taught me to act like it did, hunt the way it hunts, it taught me to lock away my feelings to stop them from betraying me, because it needs me alive. We keep each other alive, and the only way it could ensure that I live, is to teach me to do what it does."

She sighed and looked back in his forest green eyes. Eyes that bore into her soul with curiosity, understanding and sympathy. Hiccup could understand the things she was talking about. He understood the life she was forced to live.

"This is why I marked you. It's a technique the Black Moon sometimes uses to ensure loyalty and service for its own gain. If it finds someone, dragon or human, who has something it wants, and can give something that it desires too, it will create a contract, and bind them to it. It's a two way street. The Black Moon gives, and takes. But it will always use that person or dragon to save its own life. It taught me to do this, in case I need to do the same."

 **sorry everybody for the kinda lame chapter, I just needed to get this information out in the open before all the big stuff happens. dont worry, the big reveal is not too far away now, just a few more chapters and then BOOM! I've decided that after this next chapter, where Hiccup learns what he can do with this new contract, there will be a time-skip to a day or so before the new moon. throughout the time-skip, Hiccup will have asked a few major questions, but nothing epicly major will be revealed. after that, it will focus on Shadow trying to get away from Berk before midnight, and shit will go down. although, I may need a bit of help for that part. Shadow needs to get away from the village, and somehow, the dragon riders need to be there too, although I cant think of a good enough excuse for them to be there. After that, they all need to rush back to the village where in their absence something big would have happened.**

 **Please review this chapter and any ideas you may have for this part. thankyou so much for reading and helping.**


	27. claws, teeth and almost-kisses

The gang of dragons and their riders made it home without any trouble. The wind was in their favour, and there was no horrible weather to make their riding difficult. Toothless had even seemed to calm down from his outburst at Shadow, who was calmly riding on his back and respecting his space as much as she could.

Shadow and Hiccup talked through most of the ride back, mostly about their little 'contract'. She explained to him exactly what it meant for both of them, and what he could do because of that agreement.

Hiccup had asked her a few simple questions, still getting used to the idea that Shadow was more open to trusting him. He had asked about the good times in her life, what it was like to visit so many countries, and all sorts of other stuff.

They arrived back at Berk around lunch, and the group of riders parted ways to head home after being greeted by the chief. Stoick was glad to see everyone back and well after the fight with the Screaming Death, and was happy to report that there was no issues while they were gone.

After being briefed on everything, Hiccup and Shadow went back to his house. Since Shadow was still a guest on the island, Hiccup and his father had agreed to let her stay with them. Once they made it up to Hiccup's room, Shadow went and found the bag of moonstone she collected, an idea forming in her head.

She was glad she had a lot of them, because she'd be dammed if she had to go back to that god forsaken island infested with eels for more.

Hiccup watched her as she laid the moonstone out carefully on the floor and sorted them out into piles. "What are you planning on doing with those?" he asked her.

She lifted her head and gave him a small smile. "I was thinking of incorporating the moonstone into my armour, so I wouldn't have to carry it everywhere with me. I want to add the moonstone along the belt and neckline, and I'm trying to figure out what stones would be best."

He hummed in curiosity and asked her why she wanted to do that. She replied saying that because of the moonstone's properties, it could help strengthen the Black Moon dragon while she was around it. That and she thought it would look cool.

Hiccup had to agree with that, and said that he would help her modify her armour. The two of them finished unpacking from the trip and went down to the forge, bag of moonstone in hand.

While Hiccup got out the tools he would need, Shadow stripped off her armour so they could work on it. She watched in amusement as Hiccup blushed, and she chuckled lowly. While they worked on shaping the moonstone and fixing them in place, the two of them talked and occasionally asked questions.

"I've wanted to ask this question for a while, but completely forgot about it. I want to know what the Black Moon dragon's favourite food is?" he asked at one point.

She hummed and considered his question. She and the Black Moon had been all over the world, and had tasted many foods, and many different meats. A lot of which couldn't be found in other places.

"The Black Moon dragon will practically eat just about anything, from rabbits to other small dragons, but I would have to say, its favourite food would have to be shark." She finally answered.

"Why is that? Do you know?" he asked.

"Well, the one thing that has stayed consistent on its travels is shark. You can find them almost everywhere, and they don't taste half bad. It's the only type of fish large enough to state its hunger for about a week at most, and doesn't have any bones for it to sift through."

They talked about many different things throughout the day, with Hiccup still trying to understand just how open she was willing to be. Eventually, he got to one of the much bigger questions, one that he thought was some kind of legend, not truth. He asked her about the legend of the Night Fury and how it portrays the Black Moon.

"Well, you know what they say about the Night Fury. 'The unholy offspring of lightning and death itself', lightning meaning the Skrill, and death meaning the Black Moon. What people don't really know is that the 'death itself' part of that legend, is a very old myth surrounding the great black beast. It is said that the Black Moon is more of a demon from Hell rather than a dragon. A demon so powerful that it has the capabilities and strength needed to kill a god. Those who believe in the Black Moon, who don't think that it is a myth, mostly believe that the story of it being a god killing demon to be more of a false legend."

Hiccup and Shadow continued to talk for hours as they shaped and attached the moonstone to her armour. He watched as she used her clawed hands to stick the stones in place. Before he could help himself, he blurted out the first thing that came into his head.

"Why do you have such sharp claws?"

Shadow stopped what she was doing and looked up at him. She cast her gaze back down at her work, more specifically her clawed hands. "They have always been this way. When I was very young they were just normal nails, but the longer I was around the Black Moon, the more claw like they became."

"May I see?" he asked timidly. Shadow's eyes went back to looking at him, her silver irises staring into his green ones. Slowly, she held out her hand for him to inspect.

Perfectly human hands, calloused from many years of hard work and survival, coupled with large, intimidating black claws. Each claw was just less than an inch long, and shaped into a frightening point, capable of slicing through flesh with ease.

They were harder than normal nails, and probably just as strong as a dragon's. It was no wonder she was able to do damage to the Screaming death, those claws could rip through dragon skin just as easily as a sword.

These same claws could also make his skin heat up on fire. These hands were what made his flesh seemed so hot and inflamed from the most minimalist of touches.

Hiccup tore his gaze away from her hand which was grasped firmly in his, and into her glowing silver eyes. His half lidded eyes dropped ever so slightly to her mouth, more specifically, her lips and fangs. His mouth went dry and his heartrate sped up.

"m-may I look at y-your teeth?" he asked, his voice just above a whisper. Her eyebrows raised slightly, but she nodded hesitantly. With slow, definite movements, she opened her mouth and bared her teeth. He moved forward to get a better look, his face centimetres from hers.

Just like her claws, her teeth were unnaturally long and sharp. She had normal human molars, but half of her teeth were sharper than they should be. Those teeth, he realised, were designed for ripping though meat like a knife. And those fangs, god those fangs, it was if they were purposely meant for tearing through the flesh of a person or animal.

Those were the canine teeth of a true predator. One meant for biting the life out of its prey. They reminded him of the teeth of a dog, or a cat, crossed with those of a snake. It was a truly terrifying sight to see these teeth inside a human mouth, but at the same time, it made her all the more unique and beautiful in his eyes.

Her mouth slowly closed, his fingers brushing up against her lips, sending electric shocks through his body. Unconsciously, Hiccup leant closer to her, his half lidded eyes drifting close. He could feel her hot breath mingling with his, and he shivered with delight. He leaned closer, his lips a hairsbreadth away from hers, so close he could almost feel them touching.

"Easy dragon boy. You don't want to do that." She said, her voice low and husky.

He froze and pulled his head back a few inches to look into her silver eyes. They seemed darker than usual, and flashing with many emotions he could not identify.

"It's not a good idea to get attached to me." She said in that same voice. "It will only bring pain."

Hiccup tried to ignore her warning, and leant forward again, only to be stopped by her clawed hand against his shoulder, halting him. Hiccup felt disappointed.

"Why not?" he asked. His voice was low, and sounded a bit like a growl. She smirked and flashed those dangerously sharp teeth.

"Because I bite. Hard." She said it so dangerously close to a growl that his throat hitched and he couldn't breathe. He tried to push against her restraining hand, but she held firm. "My bites can be fatal you know." She whispered. "That, and I don't think your girlfriend would like it if you walked up to her with a split lip. Don't you think?" She smirked.

Hiccup sighed and leant back, the distance between their faces growing. His eyes were cast down at the ground with a mix of emotions flashing across his face. He felt ashamed for trying that, he shouldn't have done that. Her clawed finger rested under his chin, and tilted his head up to face her.

"You can't get too attached to me Hiccup. I never stay in the same place for long periods of time, it's my nature, and I am constantly on the move. If you get attached to me, it will hurt when I have to leave. I don't want you to get hurt because of me."

She was right, he knew. With everything that she has told him of her life, it meant that she would soon leave, and he wouldn't see her again for a long time. Getting attached to her would only bring pain.

But he still couldn't help thinking just how beautiful, unique and amazing she was. He wished he wouldn't have to let her go.

"Besides, you already have a mate here waiting for you. It would be unfair if you chased after me instead of going after her." She said.

Astrid, how bad would she feel if he tried to go after Shadow? It would be unfair of her. Shadow was right, he couldn't just turn away from her after so long and chase a girl he had no chance with.

He sighed and nodded, accepting her words. He then stood and went back to their work, happy that they still had something they could do together. Shadow gave him a sad smile and went to help him.

 **hey everybody! hope you enjoyed that chapter. the idea of this came from one of my viewers who sent me multiple reviews saying that they could see Shadow and Hiccup together as a couple. So, OechesnerC, this one is for you! Sorry, I mightn't have gotten them together, but its pretty damn close.**

 **hope everyone enjoyed, if you did, favorite and review!**


	28. I suspect a secret

A week past uneventful on the Island of Berk. There were no uninvited guests, no wild dragons causing trouble and wreaking havoc, and no major issues taking place. It was making the inhabitants feel nervous because of the amount of time that was spent with no trouble. They were used to strange things happening on a daily basis, so they all kept an eye out for trouble.

Some of them were noticing the on edge guest that was still hanging around on their island. They would see her out of the corner of their eye, twitching, fidgeting, and waiting. As if she knew something was going to happen soon. And something was.

The night of the new moon was approaching.

Shadow was getting more and more nervous with each day passing. There were only a few short days left before she had to leave. Less than forty eight hours before she would leave all her new friends. She felt saddened at the thought. There was nothing she could do about it.

It hadn't even been a full lunar month, and already she felt attachment. These people, the dragon riders, made her feel like none other ever had made her feel. Despite their kinks, she saw them as friends. Hiccup mostly. He was the best out of them, and she didn't want to see him hurt when she left.

But it had to be done.

Shadow sighed and counted down the days, mentally preparing herself for what she would say to them all before she would leave them. She already decided that she wouldn't tell them, it would only hurt them and her. She couldn't tell them what she really was, but she would make sure that they knew that she saw them as friends.

She sighed and cast her gaze up at the crescent moon above her. Its glowing light warning her of the time ahead. Her eyes glowed unnaturally in the dark light, and the beast inside of her crooning at her.

 _Don't worry. Soon I will come back, and we can move on again to a new place. You can come back later once I'm done, but until then I will help mask the pain of losing your human friends._

Shadow's human friends were scattered throughout the village. Hiccup was asleep in his bed, in the room below the roof she was sitting on. Astrid was curled up under her blankets at home, her hand resting on the handle of her axe as usual. But the twins, Fishlegs and Snotlout were having a secret meeting in the arena about their shadowy guest.

"I'm telling you guys, she has to be hiding something. There is something seriously crafty about her and I don't like it!" cried Snotlout.

He was absolutely convinced that Shadow was lying to them about something, or was a possible spy.

"She's been so damn secretive about that stupid dragon, and it's driving me insane. A person wouldn't go to all that trouble of staying secretive if they weren't hiding something big." He huffed.

The others had to agree. She was way too shifty, too cunning and too sly like a phantom. There were too many questions about her, and not enough answers. The situations surrounding her, the strange occurrences, illogical evidence, even the way she acted normally, it was way too strange. There was no doubt she was hiding something, and Snotlout wanted to know what it was.

"I have to agree with you Snotlout, but what are you going to do? If you are trying to find answers, she wont give them to you. She only talks to Hiccup and only tells him her secrets. There is no way you can get her to tell you anything." Said Fishlegs.

The twins hummed in agreement. Snotlout just scoffed. "Mark my words Fishlegs, I'm going to get answers one way or another. I'm going to find out exactly what she is hiding, you will all see."

"How exactly are you going to get her to talk?" asked Ruffnut, who was sitting with one leg over the other on a table. She wasn't supporting the idea of finding out everything about Shadow. Let her have her secrets, she thought, just as long as they don't hurt anyone.

"Yea, how are you going to get our crazy shadow lady to tell you anything?" said Tuffnut. He was sitting on the table next to his sister, one of the mysterious black scales in his hand. He had kept it ever since they first discovered the camp at the cove.

"Oh don't worry, I'll get answers. Don't you worry your stupid little selves about that."

By this point, Fishlegs had lost interest in Snotlout's boasting, and was writing notes on the Black Moon dragon by candlelight. There was so much they knew, and so much they didn't. It was truly baffling.

They had a description of what it looked like, supplied from Shadow and Dagur, the only two people they knew that had actually seen it. According to them, the dragon had been described as having glowing silver eyes, pitch black scales, a large built body similar to a Night Fury, massive powerful wings, a six horn crown on its head, a long tail bade and massive claws and teeth.

They knew of its connection to the lunar cycles, with the way it roams unchallenged from one new moon to the next, but then disappears until the next new moon to recover its strength. But they still didn't understand where it disappears.

They also knew from Dagur that it could shoot fire as well as lightning, a concept that they were yet to see in any other dragon.

But it was the dragon's connection to Shadow that made it one of the most mysterious creatures they had ever encountered. The dragon disappeared in the night, howling and shrieking in pain, and they found Shadow the next morning, unconscious and covered in fresh blood, surrounded by hundreds of shed scales.

The girl in question had said at one point that she couldn't deny it any longer, that 'she was cursed to follow it for the rest of her life'. She had said that she was cursed.

'Where it goes, I follow'.

Fishlegs was tempted to add her into the Mystery Class section of the Dragon Manual because of her connection to it. He could almost picture it, the pages of the Black Moon, the great black beast drawn over the page with Shadow standing beside it. Her silver eyes, pale and slightly ashen skin, her dark clothing and animalistic teeth and claws, compared to the magnificence of the Black Moon dragon.

The connection between the two, a standing mystery to be solved.

Fishlegs had to admire just how much Shadow seemed to match the description of the dragon itself. She had no nails, but claws instead. She had fangs, not normal teeth. Her eyes were an unnatural colour that seemed to glow in the moonlight. Her behaviour could rival that of a wild dragon.

They were so similar, it was uncanny.

"Hmm…"

"Whats up Fishlegs?" asked Ruffnut. Fishlegs considered his next words before he spoke. "Have you guys noticed how similar Shadow and the Black Moon dragon are?" he asked.

"Well, if you mean how she acts like a dragon sometimes, then yea." Said Tuffnut, who was currently making shadow puppets against the wall with the candle flame.

"I'm talking about more than that. We were told what it looks like, right? The black scales, silver eyes, sharp teeth. Tell me you guys have noticed how she has those same characteristics."

They all turned to look at him, expressions of genuine interest on their faces. Keeping with his point, Fishlegs continued. "I just think it's weird how she is _too_ closely comparable to that dragon. Black hair, ashen skin, silver glowing eyes that bore into your soul, nails too long and sharp to be considered nails, and teeth that look like they actually belong in a dragons mouth."

"Wow Fishlegs, you sound as if you think that _she_ is the dragon." Said Tuffnut.

It clicked. The theory didn't make any sense at all, but it somehow justified all the strange occurrences and evidence against her. They had no idea if they were right or not, and frankly, they thought that it was too crazy to be correct.

Snotlout smirked maliciously. He may have a way to find out if that idea was correct.

 **Hello everybody, sorry for the late update. the internet at home crapped itself and wouldn't work, and I couldn't update at school since the website is blocked. I hope this makes up for it. Now, I have already written past the big reveal, and I really want to see some reviews with the next chapters. If I get two or three good reviews, I will post the next chapters. And give me your thoughts on things that can happen afterwards.**


	29. too close to the truth

Shadow was walking down towards the arena early in the morning the day before the new moon. Today was her last day on Berk, then she had to leave. Emotions tugged at her heart, making her feel horrible and lonely. She had nothing to look forward to once she left, just a few weeks of traveling and staying hidden, only coming out to hunt.

She sighed and continued walking. Today, she thought, she would spend with her new friends, and let them know how much she valued them before she would slip away in the night.

Once she made it to the arena, she could feel that something was off. She couldn't tell what it was, or what was going to happen, but the black beast told her to be wary.

Once she went inside the giant stone bowl, she noticed the inhabitants. Fishlegs, Snotlout, Ruffnut, Tuffnut and Astrid were all there with their dragons. The latter were still giving her stares which made her uncomfortable. They could smell it on her. They knew what she was, what she would become.

Thankfully, when teaching the teens how to speak and understand Dragoneese, she neglected to teach them how to understand their dragons if they tried to rat her out. She smirked internally at this. They wouldn't catch her. And hopefully, she could return in the future without any of them ever knowing her secret.

They all said their good mornings, with Shadow still acting slightly shy like the first time she met them. Since Hiccup hadn't arrived yet, they decided to just lounge around and talk. Hiccup was by now either still on his morning flight, or talking to his father.

Shadow could see Fishlegs slaving away over a pile of papers, and went over to look. They were notes on the Black Moon, everything they had gathered since the day she arrived. Shadow was surprised to see that they actually had quite a lot of information.

Fishlegs saw her reading his notes, and spoke to her. "Um, Shadow. I hope you don't mind, but we really want to learn as much as possible about your dragon to put it into the Dragon manual. Would you mind answering us some of our questions?" he hesitantly asked.

Shadow felt slightly apprehensive, but agreed. Internally, she promised not to give anything too big away, but they deserved to have their pages for the book. At least she could be immortalised in their history.

"What do you want to know?" she asked.

"Lets start off easy. What is the Black Moon's food of choice?" he asked.

Shadow smirked. "Shark. There are no bones in it to sift through when its eating." She answered. Fishlegs wrote some more notes in his pages.

"Ok, a bit harder this time. What is the length of its body?" he asked.

Shadow had to stop and think, because she wasn't entirely sure how big it was. Coming up with an idea, she politely asked Hookfang to come over, and she compared her other self to that of the Monstrous Nightmare.

"Approximately seven and a half meters long from snout to tail last I checked. And with a wingspan of roughly nine meters from wingtip to wingtip. Although I could be wrong." She said.

Fishlegs hummed in thought, and wrote down the information. The twins wracked their brains for good questions.

"Does it have a shot limit?" asked the female twin. Shadow shook her head. "It has unlimited shots. But with its lightning, it requires a lot more energy."

All throughout the day, they asked Shadow questions. Everything she knew on the Black Moon was asked, and she did her best to answer without giving away everything. It was hard, since they asked very specific questions about the dragon, questions which she didn't really want to answer. But she managed to state their curiosity. Although she had to admit, some of those harder questions were answered with a lie.

At some point during the day, Hiccup – who showed up after a late breakfast – had to leave for the Forge to help Gobber. Astrid left about half an hour after he did to help her parents with something that Shadow soon forgot about.

But once the late afternoon rolled in, they started to doubt the answers she gave them, and challenged her on the things she said. Snotlout especially went against her on the things she said. The more and more she spoke, the more agitated he got.

"Bah! I don't like any of this. You've answered our questions on that stupid dragon, but none on how you are connected to it! Why is that? Why are you hiding that dragon from us?" he demanded. "Why don't you tell us where you are hiding it?!"

Shadow growled at him once she realised what he was doing.

"That information is strictly confidential and need-to-know. I can't just go blabbing to every egotistical jerk all the secrets that I keep. That information could be the death of me if it falls into the wrong hands, which is why I'm not telling you where it is!" she yelled. Shadow growled at him as his face contorted into one of anger.

"Oh yea, as if! You just think its some sort of big fun game, trying to feed us lies and see how far you get until you get caught. Well guess what! Game over!" he yelled at her, standing chest to chest with the shadowy girl. Shadow snarled at him and narrowed her eyes.

Her blood was boiling and she was itching for a fight, since he seemed to be hell-bent on starting one. She cracked her knuckles and flexed her claws, and bared her fangs at him.

"Oh, what's this? Is the little shadow girl getting mad? Does she think she can start a fight to get out of this? Well here, _dragon girl_ , sniff some of this and calm down."

Before she could react, Snotlout threw a ball of what she could only guess was Dragon Nip at her face, and the sweet smell instantly permeated the air near her nose. Shadow couldn't control her body or her senses once she came into contact with the dragon nip, and she instantly became calm.

The teens watched, gobsmacked, as her pupils widened to impossible size, she smiled, and fell over on the ground into a purring pile of happy mush. Humans didn't react at all to the sweet smelling grass, but Shadow was having a massive positive reaction to it at their feet, rolling around on the ground purring like a cat. Or a dragon.

Snotlout was the first to snap out of shock, and swaggered over to her cuddled up form, smirking like an asshole at his discovery. Shadow finally was able to snap out of it, shaking her head violently, just as the abusive teen smirked down at her.

"Well, well, well. It looks like I was right." Shadow could feel her stomach drop at his words. "It looks like you _are_ more dragon that human."

Shadow was on her feet in an instant, and made a mad dash away from the dark haired teen. Fear circulated her body in a large rush of adrenaline. She only stopped once her back reached the furthest spot away from the dragon riders. Too late had she realised that they were between her and the door. The only way out.

Snotlout saw her eyes move, and ran for the iron gate the moment she moved, beating her there and locking them all inside. Shadow kept on running once she realised she was trapped. Her heart was beating a mile a minute, as Snotlout in his enraged state, grabbed a sword and advanced on her.

She was still dangerous, so he wanted to approach her while being armed. He wasn't going to let her come close to hurting him if she was a dragon collaborator, or a spy. No, he still didn't know exactly what she was, but 'dangerous' was definitely on that list.

As he advanced on her, Shadow lunged in a desperate attempt to scare him off and bolt for the gate, but she miscalculated, and once she managed to get behind him and run, Snotlout swung his sword in a downward arc.

Her back was to him as she was running, and he reacted on instinct. The deadly, sharp sword descended towards her exposed back on an unstoppable path.

Shadow screamed as the blade bit into her back, and sliced down from her shoulder to her hip on the opposite side, and she crashed to the ground in a heap.

Everyone went silent, with the only noise being Shadow's laboured breathing. She slowly turned around and saw the torn shirt on her back, the massive rip almost tearing the shirt off her body.

There was no blood, yet there should be. She shouldn't be moving after a blow like that. Her spine should be shattered, but it wasn't. Instead, the hidden scales on her back protected her from the blow, and were only scratched by the blade, but it was enough to hurt.

The teens couldn't see the scales, but they knew that there must have been something protecting her. Was it witchcraft? But they had no more time to think about it, since Shadow was now back on her feet and snarling rabidly.

They could see no human girl in those eyes anymore, just the eyes and tortured soul of a monster. There was no humanity in those eyes at all, just killer instinct and bloodlust.

Snotlout dropped the sword and ran for his very life as the monster ran in pursuit. It snarled, growled and roared as he screamed in fear around the arena. The twins and Fishlegs yelled and screamed as well as they tried to save Snotlout, but there wasn't much they could do.

Thinking quickly under the pressure, Fishlegs directed the twins to open one of the cage doors, and he screamed at Snotlout to try and trap her inside. Snotlout, too terrified to go against the idea, bolted into the open cage and pressed himself up against the wall, waiting for the right moment.

In her enraged state, Shadow couldn't think properly as to why he was trapping himself in the enclosed space, and charged towards him on all fours, head down to smash him with her horns.

At the very last second, Snotlout bolted towards her, twisting out the way with a hairsbreadth between them, and out of the cage. Shadow didn't stand a chance, and cannoned right into the back stone wall with a sickening crunch. She crumpled to the ground in pain as her head pounded inside her skull. Thankfully, her horns had absorbed the impact and saved her from brain damage. But this also meant that she couldn't move straight, or fast enough to get out of the cage before they locked her inside.

The doors closed with a bang, just as Shadow watched the last ray of sunshine be blocked from her view. Instantly she was cloaked in suffocating darkness inside the cell. The blood froze in her veins as she ran over and pounded the door for an escape. The door bucked slightly, but didn't budge. She scratched at the door, threw her weight against it and even rammed it with her horns, but nothing was working.

The air inside the cage shook with the volume of her howl, and the sound echoed outside so loud that it rattled everyone's bones. She howled and roared and screeched for salvation from her prison, her voice filled with misery and fear, but no one came.

The monster was trapped.

 **Thank you everyone who has been with me this far, its been great to have you on board. This fanfiction is almost complete, but I dont want to end it. there is so much more I can do with this story. I want all my loyal readers to tell me what they think of my story, and what I could do in a sequel. If you guys just have small little ideas for Shadow and Hiccup, let me know.**

 **Please review. the next update will be coming soon...**


	30. escape first, ambush second

Hiccup had been working inside the forge when he heard it. The fearful howl that rattled his very soul. He instantly knew it was Shadow, and she was in trouble. He didn't know where she was, or what was going on, but within mere moments he was outside and listening to her wailing howls.

She was trapped somewhere, he heard her say, and had been trapped in there by the other teens. He listened to her dragon sounds and growls, then realised that she was trapped in the arena. He ran as fast as his one good leg and prosthetic could carry him, and barged past anyone that dared to bar his way.

When he made it to the arena, and forcefully yanked open the gate, he could hear Shadow crying inside one of the cages. He ran over to it and pulled the leaver. The metal doors opened with a creak and he rushed inside to find her. She was curled up by the double doors, tears rolling down her face like a cascading waterfall. It sickened him to see her so broken.

"Shadow! Oh my gods, what happened?" he stammered. She couldn't form proper words because of her crying, and her hitched throat, but Hiccup was able to just understand the words of Dragoneese she was speaking.

It was Snotlout who locked her in there. They made her feel frightened, and he tried to hurt her.

Hiccup growled in rage and held her in a tight hug, willing her sadness and tears to go away as he cradled her in his arms on the floor. After about ten minutes, she calmed down enough to speak, but the tears were still flowing down her face, and her eyes no longer had that beautiful glow in them instead they were rimmed with red.

Those puffy red eyes looked up at the darkened sky, and she started to panic anew. It was dark, and there was no moon tonight. She had to leave, and she had no idea what time it was.

Her clawed hands groped Hiccup's shoulders, searching for the blemish on his skin that she left. Her hand rested against the marked flesh, and he knew exactly what she wanted. She was asking for him to take her away, to keep her safe from everyone, and get her away from the village at the cost of his own life.

He nodded in acceptance, and pulled her to her feet. Calmly, he dragged her out of the arena and down the walkway. They moved fast to avoid everyone, but eventually they ran into the other teens. They froze when they saw the two of them. Shadow, crying in Hiccup's arms, who was dragging her out of the village. Astrid didn't know what to think, the whole situation being unknown to her, but the others looked horrified. Not just at the sight of Shadow out of the cage, but the deadly gleam in Hiccup's eyes which made them all shiver. Then Hiccup growled a challenge to his cousin in Dragoneese.

 _'You hurt her again, and I'll end you.'_

Without another sound, the two of them ran off in the direction of the forest, the others knowing better than to follow. Astrid immediately rounded on the others, who cowered in fear, and demanded an answer.

Hiccup and Shadow ran through the forest as fast as they could, despite Hiccup tripping on his prosthetic in the dark. They made it through the main part of the forest, towards Raven Pont, past the cove, to the other side of the island where they finally stopped.

They were both massively out of breath, and were leaning on each other for support. Shadow was still shedding a few stray tears, but it looked like her crying had almost stopped. Hiccup wrapped his arm around her and pulled her in for a hug.

"I- I was afraid… afraid that I would be trapped… that I would be abandoned in there into the night…" she sobbed quietly. Hiccup patted the top of her head and made calm shushing noises.

"No one is going to abandon you. I'm still here for you, and I always will be." He said.

"But I was… I was going to abandon everyone tonight. I was going to leave. But I got locked up in that cage, and I got so frightened." He shushed her again and placed his hand on her cheek.

"I know you were. I know that you have to leave, and I tried not getting attached, but I couldn't help it. You have become a part of the group. A part of our crazy, rag-tag bunch of morons. And I'm so glad that you were able to become a part of us. I wish you could stay, but I know that you have to go." He whispered right next to her ear.

"I couldn't help but get attached to you Shadow, you are a beautiful, unique person. I couldn't help but fall." He whispered again. This time, he was looking right into her eyes, which were now glowing bright I the absence of the moon. Her cheek was cradled in his calloused palm and holding her so she couldn't move. He leaned forward and pressed his forehead against hers, allowing him to absorb her scent.

Hiccup tilted his head to the side, closed his eyes, and slowly leaned in to her, making their breaths mingle together in the cold night air.

He licked his lips in anticipation and his breathing hitched in his throat as he began to close the space between their lips.

A panicked roar filled the air, killing the moment and forcing the two apart. Hiccup had a bright red blush on his face and Shadow looked wild. The draconic scream filled the air again, coming from a large distance away.

Shadow perked her ears, listening to the message while Hiccup waited.

"It's Toothless. He's saying the village is under attack. They've been ambushed by the Outcasts."

They stood up in an instant and began the long run all the way back to the village, all thoughts of escaping, abandonment and kisses flew out of their minds as they focused on getting back in time to save everyone. If the Outcasts were attacking, and had the element of surprise, it could have massive negative effects on the villagers and the dragons.

Not once did they stop until they reached the village, and as soon as they made it to the village limits, they went onto stealth mode to avoid capture. They crept through the darkness and shadows, following the sounds of a fight until they found Toothless. He was fighting a ferocious battle between him and six outcasts, all armed to the teeth with axes and swords. Unfortunately, he had been fighting for so long that now he was losing.

Shadow stopped Hiccup from yelling out and running to his best friend, hissing into his ear that they needed a plan. They watched, helpless, as ropes were being thrown over the Night Fury in an attempt to hold him down. At the same time, many other outcasts were fighting the remaining dragons and villagers, capturing them alive and herding them inside the great hall.

Shadow leaned forward, her teeth grazing Hiccup's ear. "I got a plan." She said. "These guys cant function well on their own, right?" Hiccup shook his head. Without Alvin the Treacherous, they were too stupid to come up with anything smart.

"We need to draw their leader out and eliminate him. The best bet would be using a long range weapon. My bow for example. I'll need to go and get it from your house, and I need you to cause a ruckus while I'm gone." Hiccup looked at her sceptically.

"If you run out there, screaming bloody murder, it should catch all their attention, and draw out their leader. I'll bet my left foot that you are highly wanted by him anyway, and are probably the reason he is here. With the leader out in the open, I can shoot him from a distance, causing panic among the ranks, and give you enough time to get Toothless or one of the other dragons free. From there we can take the rest of them out from the air and free the rest. Got it?"

Hiccup nodded. He wasn't entirely happy with the plan, but it was the best they got, and there was not much else they could do with just the two of them. Everyone else was out for the count.

"Ok, it should take me three minutes to get to your house, find my bow and arrows and get back here. So stay hidden here for three minutes, then unleash hell. By then, I should be back in time to watch the chaos unfold." She whispered.

Hiccup took a big breath and nodded. Shadow nodded too and slipped away in the dark, and Hiccup started counting.

 **WOOHOO! thirty chapters! its been great fun writing all this, and I'm glad you guys have read my work. I just want to say thanks for all the times you have read my story, thanks again. Now, THE BIG REVEAL IS NEXT! the part we have all been waiting for will finally be revealed in the next chapter, but I want to get a lot of reviews first. Please tell me if I have made any mistakes in my writing or could improve anywhere. I want to do creative writing in uni, and need to know where I can improve.**

 **Review your thoughts and opinions. I love your feedback, and it will make me update faster. remember, the big reveal is coming up next!**


	31. Captured (Demons and valkyries)

The shadowy girl slunk through the darkness like a phantom, dodging stragglers. It took her absolutely no time at all to find the Haddock house, and seconds to scale the wall up to Hiccup's bedroom window. Her bow and quiver were right where she left them, and in the space of thirty seconds, she was outside the window again.

But all the plans seemed to fail once she got back to her position. Hiccup had run out yelling and screaming like she told him, and went straight for Toothless. But he was overwhelmed by the outcast soldiers and taken prisoner, along with his Night Fury buddy who was being wrapped in chains and put in a muzzle. Shadow was completely helpless and couldn't do anything as she watched them being dragged inside the Great Hall.

She had only seconds to react, and stealthily snuck into the Great Hall after them, having avoided being seen by anyone. Inside, the whole village was in irons, with all multitude of weapons being poised at their throats. All the warriors including Spitelout and Stoick, were cuffed and forced to kneel on the ground in front of their aggressor.

Alvin the Treacherous.

The dragons were wrapped up in chains, with muzzles around their snouts and secured to the ground, with each of their riders kneeling in front of them with a knife to their throats.

But worst of all, Hiccup was in the leaders thick meaty hands, and his sword was poised ready to end his life.

Shadow was the only one not in irons. Everyone had been captured. Even Gothi the elder, who had her stick stolen from her.

She had to save them all, but how? She needed to take out the leader, then free the dragons. That would be the best option. A patrol of soldiers was heading towards her hiding spot, and Shadow had to move.

From this angle, she could remain hidden, but she couldn't shoot the leader because Hiccup was being used as a human shield. Alvin was cackling like a madman while talking to Stoick, telling him just how foolish they all were and how he held all the power.

Shadow had to get up higher to give her a better target, and a better chance of shooting him in the head. Looking up, she could see the rafters supporting the roof, and thought that they could be the perfect spot.

She slung the bow over her shoulder and free climbed the pillar with nothing but her claws for purchase.

"I've won now Stoick. I've taken control of the whole island, and taken everyone hostage, including your son Hiccup." Boasted the leader of the Outcasts.

"There is nothing stopping me from seizing this island for myself now, and no one to say I can't execute the lot of you!" he bellowed.

Hiccup was being hurled around by Alvin, desperately trying to discover their salvation. That's when he caught sight of Shadow on the rafters with her bow over her shoulder. She was going to shoot Alvin and give them a fighting chance, but she couldn't while he was being held in the way of her shot.

He had to stall. And he thought, why not have a little fun at a time like this, and blow things a little out of proportion and use fear to control the Outcasts?

"You are wrong Alvin. It is always the Valkyries that decide who dies on the battlefield, not you." He challenged. That caught his attention.

"You might have taken everyone hostage, but the gods prefer to smile down on us. Our Valkyrie will decide your fate." He spat. Alvin glared at the toothpick of a boy and held the blade closer to his neck.

"What do you know of Valkyries boy? There are none here to save you and your village. The gods don't smile down on anyone on a moonless night." He sneered.

Then Hiccup got a new idea, and he smirked.

"Maybe not, but do you know what _does_ come out when there is no moon?" Alvin glared a challenge at him.

"Demons." Hiccup sneered.

Alvin laughed, his bellowing voice echoed all around the Great Hall which was silent despite his laughter. Hiccup kept a serious face aimed at the Outcast leader, determined to continue.

"It's true. There is a demon that roams around on nights like these, searching for the next pack leader to be its conquest. It hunts in the dead of night when there is no moon, and searches for the strongest leader for it to feed on." Hiccup exclaimed.

Some of the outcast soldiers were fidgeting, and casting glances around the room in search of this demon.

Alvin was still not convinced. "And do, pray tell, what does this demon look like?" he challenged, his voice low enough to be a growl.

"It has the body of a human, with lean strong muscles, and claws as sharp as spears. It has teeth as sharp as swords, and eyes that glow in the dark with a silver light. It is covered in black scales, with horns on its head, and giant draconic wings on its back with a tail to match. It acts more like a beast than it does a human, and can speak the language of dragons, bending them to its will." Chanted Hiccup.

Some of the villagers understood what he was doing, and agreed to his description of the demon. The Outcasts were becoming more and more scared when they pictured the grotesque face and form of the demon, completely unaware that it was perched above them.

"This demonic creature, the right hand monster of Hel herself, comes to Midgard at the end of the lunar cycle to claim a victim, and rip out his heart with its teeth to present to its master in the deepest parts of Helheim. It is a merciless killer, a vicious animal, and capable of taking on a human form to confuse its victims." He prophesised.

Everyone was hanging off his every word, shivering in fear and eerily eying others to see if they were the demon. Up above, Shadow was impressed with Hiccup's improvised scene. She had no idea how he managed to portray her as a hybrid demon, but it suited her purpose just fine.

She slung the bow off her shoulder and selected an arrow. She got into position and pulled back to half draw. Alvin wasn't in the right position yet, but he would he soon, and then she would strike.

"Do you really think I'm going to believe your little fairy tale boy? You must take me for a fool if you think I will fall for that load of crap." He sneered. Then he gripped the sword tighter and held it closer to the soft flesh of his neck.

Shadow growled and prepared to fire.

"Tell me boy, does this demon have a name?" he asked. Hiccup just smirked as he took the final step needed to be completely exposed to Shadow's arrow.

"The Black Shadow."

"Alvin! UP THERE! LOOK!" cried Savage. He had seen Shadow.

She jumped in fright and misfired. The arrow went off course and hit the ground by Alvin's feet, telling him exactly where she was sitting. "Get her down from there!" he cried.

Spears, rocks and bolas were thrown up at her, trying to knock her from her perch. Shadow had no cover and was eventually hit in the head with a rock and a lucky throw. She crumpled and fell to the ground with a sickening smack from the ten meter height.

She tried to stand up to fight, but she was grabbed by Outcast soldiers and moved to the centre of the room. Two of them grabbed her arms and held them away from her body, trapping her on her knees.

Her plan failed.

"Well, well, well. Who do we have here?" Shadow looked up and snarled. "Oh, feisty one. Never seen you before, who might you be pet?"

Shadow snarled again but louder. Alvin just laughed. "Oh come on pet, all I asked for was a name." he crooned.

This time, Shadow smirked. Hiccup had set the stage, so she might as well finish the show. She mingled her Dragoneese accent with her Norse to make it sound raspy and snakelike.

"I am known as the Black Shadow, mortal. I come from Helheim, sent by the goddess herself to bring your heart to her."

The solders around the room shivered with fear.

"I am the demon of the moonless night. The queen of all night beasts. And right hand assassin to Hel herself."

That seemed to get everyone to collectively shudder. Even Alvin was being affected. She could smell the slight fear and anxiety flow off him, like a thin veil of smoke.

"I am a slayer of armies, a master of magic, and a killer of gods." She hissed at him. Alvin was beginning to sweat. He legitimately believed that she was a demon, and frankly, so did everyone else in the room.

Shadow need to come up with a solid plan to get everyone free, and to stop the Outcasts. She didn't have long left before midnight. In fact, she could feel the Black Moon dragon's blood flowing through her veins already. Midnight was on approach.

"I demand that you free these villagers and my brethren or I shall be forced to unleash my full demon form upon you and your men. None will be spared if I do."

Alvin became sceptical. If she was a demon, could she not just snap her fingers and make any of her hellish desires come true? Something seemed off.

"How can we even be sure that you are a demon, and not an imposter?" he questioned. Hiccup flinched as he started to see through their lie.

"Gods don't bleed, do they?" Alvin sneered. "If you really are a demon, you shouldn't bleed either. One of you two, cut her. See if she bleeds!"

Shadow snarled as one of her captors pulled out a knife. Her wrist was exposed and cut with the crude blade. Scarlet red blood dripped from the wound onto the floor.

"I knew it. You're not a demon. You are nothing but an imposter, trying to save the villagers. Well guess what, it's not going to work." He snarled. Alvin's grip tightened around Hiccup and he was able to keep one arm free to grab his own dagger. Shadow snarled in hatred, her eyes flashing in the torchlight and her pupils became slits. She was beginning to lose herself to the great black beast.

"I think the first thing I'm going to do, in response to your failure, is to make you watch as I maim your little friend here."

Shadow knelt, helpless, as the Outcast leader ran the blade over Hiccup's flesh. She roared as he cut his arms, his torso and his back. Her control kept slipping. Blood was dripping on the floor in a large puddle. Hiccup was being tortured by the evil man, but not suffering from injuries that would kill him.

No, Alvin was sure to keep him very much alive. Shadow bucked and thrashed against her restrains, snarling like the vicious animal she could feel herself turning into, with the smell of blood driving her mad.

The beast inside was breaking free, the scent of blood fuelling it. It took all of Shadow's self-control to halt the transformation. All the Berkians in the room were screaming and crying because they were unable to help their future chief, with Toothless's wails being the loudest.

Shadow watched with a monstrous look in her eyes as Alvin crossed the line. He dragged the bloodied knife across Hiccup's throat, gently cutting the skin on the most sensitive and delicate part. The very look in Hiccup's eyes as the blade cut him made her heart clench, he knew that Alvin was growing tired of his games and would kill him soon. Shadow could see the raw fear in his eyes, fear of death at the hands of this monster. It was at that point that Shadow just _let go._

"You shouldn't have done that." She all but growled at him.

Midnight struck…

The transformation began.

 **Ok, maybe I lied about the transformation being in this chapter, but I promise you that it will come up next. Please leave a review, it will make me update faster.**


	32. The Great Black Beast, Finally Revealed!

**WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOO after all this time, its finally happened! Shadow's secondary form is revealed. Let me know what you think of this in a review. Did I do good? let me know, as well as what you think will happen afterwards. from this point on, any ideas are welcome to further the plot. I will even refrence those who give me an idea that I use.**

 **So anyway, I hope you enjoy this long awaited chapter of THE BLACK MOON DRAGON!**

 **.**

 **(Previously)**

 _Shadow watched with a monstrous look in her eyes as Alvin crossed the line. He dragged the bloodied knife across Hiccup's throat, gently cutting the skin on the most sensitive and delicate part. The very look in Hiccup's eyes as the blade cut him made her heart clench, he knew that Alvin was growing tired of his games and would kill him soon. Shadow could see the raw fear in his eyes, fear of death at the hands of this monster. It was at that point that Shadow just_ let go _._

 _"You shouldn't have done that." She all but growled at him._

 _Midnight struck…_

 _The transformation began._

.

" _Nobody touches Hiccup..._ " Shadow growled. Her silver eyes became narrow slits in front of the evil man, the angered and deadly eyes of a dragon.

It started inside her chest, where her fire lungs began to form. She couldn't breathe and started to suffocate from lack of oxygen. Her hands broke free from the grip of her captors and clutched her throat in a desperate plea for air. She choked on nothing as pain wracked her body, and her lungs burned with fire. Next, all the sounds she was making in agony were cut off as her vocal chords snapped, and reformed to make only growls.

Her skin darkened to an ashen grey colour, making her look like the demon she was attempting to portray. She choked and gasped as scales formed over top of her dark skin. Morphing from her back, down her arms and legs, to her hands and feet. For now, her face stayed clear of the armoured scales.

Her claws became elongated, as did her teeth to the point where they didn't sit in her mouth properly. Already, she looked like a true monster, and everyone laying witness to this grotesque transformation were screaming in undiluted terror.

Next came the wings, which started as new bones being formed under her skin. Shadow screamed in raw agony and used her claws to tear the clothes off her back, just as the forearms of her wings stretched out from under her shoulder blades. They watched in horror as new bones grew before their eyes.

The two arm bones of each wing grew, as well as the flesh over top as Shadow screamed. The wrist joints of the new appendages formed just as the base of her spine elongated into a tail.

Again she tore at the restrictive clothing, freeing the growing limb so it could form. The tail finished forming, as did the wings. She screamed again and clutched her head in pain as her horns grew larger out of her skull. She couldn't see, she couldn't speak, she could barely breathe and she couldn't think from the pain.

She felt like she was dying. And she knew deep down in her subconscious that the worst was still to come. The majority of her bones broke simultaneously and reformed again and again, growing in length, size and strength.

The entire village and Outcasts watched in pure horror as Shadow grew in size. She continued to grow larger and larger as some of her body parts continued to change, mostly her limbs which morphed and twisted so she could walk on all fours, as well as her face which became contorted and formed into a muzzle large enough to swallow a man whole.

Shadow, no, the monster continued to grow and take shape into a giant beast. Its form, similar to that of a Night Fury, but with the sheer size of a Monstrous Nightmare. It growled in pain as the transformation continued, and the last of its body formed correctly.

It shook its horned head and stretched its massive wings, standing on all fours to its full height, and turning its soul searching silver eyes on the prey at its feet. Hiccup felt the blood drain from his face and his body turned cold.

Shadow, the beautiful, unique girl was gone, in its place was this hellish, demonic monster, with teeth capable of tearing through flesh, claws strong enough to snap bone, and eyes that could tear your soul out of your very body. Its form the very essence of darkness and fear.

The beast looked at him with hunger in its eyes, and its heavy breathing resonated through the entire room.

The great black beast. The Black Moon, was here...

Alvin, so desperate to combat the hellish best ordered for his men to attack. The foolish soldiers charged at it with spears and swords, but it simply swiped its massive tail and knocked them back against the wall with a sickening crunch of breaking bone.

On its other side, more soldiers ran for it, but after a swipe of its talons sent them flying back with gaping wounds in their chests, they moved no longer. Savage himself charged towards its face with a spear, aiming for its eyes, but it lunged forward in retaliation and used its horns as a battering ram. It smashed into him with the weight of its entire body behind it, and he crumpled to the ground a broken, breeding mess.

The soldiers were defeated, and now it turned its hungry gaze onto the two forms in front of it. Alvin the Treacherous, and Hiccup Haddock.

Alvin threw Hiccup to the ground and ran at the beast with a ferocious battle cry. Its large paw descended on top of his head and crushed his futile attempts. The beasts' fanged maw chomped down on him and picked him up with ease, tearing through his armour like it was nothing. Alvin was tossed into the air and grabbed again by those razor sharp teeth, and it chomped down on his torso.

Alvin screamed as blood flowed into the mouth of the hellish beast. The dragon dropped him on the floor between its front feet, and used its claws to tear away the armour and expose his bloodied flesh for it to devour.

The great black best was about to take a bite out of its meal before a frightened scream filled the air.

"STOP!"

It looked up at who dared to interrupt its meal, and saw the scrawniest Viking it had ever seen, defiantly standing up to it, with blood dripping onto the floor. Then the scrawny toothpick did something it never expected.

Hiccup stomped his foot on the ground and snarled at the Back Moon, challenging it for dominance. It growled in anger, but accepted the challenge. Her future meal lay abandoned at her feet.

The dragon stomped its front leg against the ground and snarled in acceptance to the challenge. And thus it began.

Hiccup and the great black beast competed in the greatest challenge of all, each one of them stomping and growling to try and get the other to back down. The Black Moon didn't budge in response to his growls, and Hiccup valiantly stood against her roars.

The challenge increased in ferocity, with each combatant becoming louder and louder! Finally, sure of her victory, the dragon reared up on her hind legs and slammed both feet on the ground, shaking the whole mountain and roared at her challenger with the ferocity of a dragon's war cry!

Unbelievably, Hiccup didn't flinch.

He kept his eyes trained on the great black beast, and growled, addressing the other dragons. In response, they forcibly broke free from their restraints and tore off the muzzles clamped around their noses. On Hiccup's orders, they filled their lungs with air and waited for his signal.

On his command, the dragons collectively roared in defiance to the Black Moon dragon with the intensity and strength of a thunderclap. Their roars shook the mountain on which they stood and echoed with intensity throughout the great hall.

As one they roared, and as one they stopped, but Hiccup roared once more in the black dragon's face with a volume that could put his Night Fury to shame.

The Black Moon stood in shock at the ferocious display of loyalty to their leader. Those dragons, a Gronckle, a Deadly Nadder, a Hideous Zippleback, a Monstrous Nightmare and a Night Fury, all rallying behind this tiny Viking who stood in defiance at a beast large enough to swallow him whole, with a fire in his eyes that the beast had never seen before in any other creature.

Curiously, it lowered its snout to sniff at the tiny being. He was covered in the scent of dragons, specifically the Night Fury, but there was another scent too. One that would have made the dragon scoff had it not just seen the display of dominance that this little alpha put up.

But once again, the human alpha surprised it again, but turning his head away and extending its hand out towards the beast, exposing himself completely to its onslaught.

The dragon thought this a trick, and snapped at the hand attempting to touch its snout, missing it by a mere inch. The boy did not move, or even flinch. He was completely exposed and at its mercy, but did so willingly and without hesitation.

The dragon considered this boy in front of it. Him, the weakest member of the pack, beaten and bloodied, had the entire village of humans, and a pack of dragons willing to stand behind him with him as their leader. The dragon had never seen anything like this before.

It wondered, what would it be like, to let this boy's hand touch its snout? Would he recoil from the contact, or would he turn on it and slash at it with a knife?

But there was no malicious intent radiating from him, only trust. Slowly, the great black beast inched its snout towards his extended hand. His soft palm touched her tough armoured scales. She couldn't help but notice how soft his skin felt.

Hiccup turned around to look at the dragons' eyes, and he smiled.

"Welcome back Shadow."

.

.

.

The sound of steel penetrating flesh and the sound of breaking bone echoed through the great hall. Shadow reared back and screamed in a dying agony. Alvin's sword was stuck half way into her chest, wedged between the armoured underbelly scales. Blood seeped out of the stab wound.

Shadow blundered around and smashed into the pillars around the room, shrieking in pain and terror at the weapon that just missed its heart, but had dealt a killing blow. She stumbled around on heavy limbs, clutching her chest and trying to yank the sword out. She bent her head and pulled it out with her teeth, and immediately, more blood began to flow.

Shadow watched in absolute horror as a new blood began to seep out of her chest. A silver, metallic liquid responsible for keeping her alive. Her magical blood.

Her life force.

The great black beast fell to the ground in a heap, wailing in anguish. Hiccup ran over to the dragon's head and cradled it in his lap. He could see the words in its silver eyes. It was dying.

"Somebody help!" he screamed.

Gobber, Gothi and many others ran to the dragons side and did their absolute best to stop the bleeding, and to prevent the life force from exiting her body.

With every drop of silver blood that dripped from the wound, a part of the dragon began to fade away. Her body began to shrink back to human size, and the scales covering her body fell off in large quantities.

She was turning slowly back to her human form.

Hiccup watched in horror as blood dripped onto the floor, and as Shadow slowly reverted back to the form he knew so well. Her silver eyes no longer glowed, but still searched his in an attempt to say everything she could, lest the worst happen. Hiccup knew that if she reverted entirely to her human form, her body wouldn't be able to survive her grievous wounds. Humans couldn't survive a stab to the chest, and she wouldn't if the gave up her draconic strength.

Gothi and the others worked furiously to stop the blood flow, as well as her life force, but eventually her body began to shut down. Her body went cold and her limbs became weak and heavy, her eyes dropping slowly closed.

"Shadow. No, no don't close your eyes. Stay with me. You have to stay awake. Shadow, no. No. No don't! Don't die on me! SHADOW!"

…


	33. Shadow is a WHAT?

_Thump thump._

 _Thump thump_

 _Thump thump._

Consciousness slowly came to the sleeping girl. The sound of her heartbeat echoed inside her head, the only sound she could hear. She couldn't move: everything felt stiff and sore. She wanted nothing more than to let her mind slip away back into dream land and go back to the dream of flight.

But her mind refused to quiet. Very slowly, her eyes fluttered open. Her face was buried in a pillow, and her body laid out on a very comfy mattress, but she felt constricted by the blanket over her body.

She lifted her head and moved her arms under her body. Why was she laying on her belly? Her body felt heavier than it should. Shadow kept trying to push herself up onto her forearms, but the blanket made her feel like she was being squished.

Since when did blankets feel like they weighed fifty pounds? She wondered. Eventually, she managed to sit up. She didn't know how to explain it, but she felt _weird_.

Shadow rubbed her eyes and moved to sit on the side of the bed, and pulled off the heavy blanket. As she inspected her body, she noticed a heavy bandage over her chest, bloodied rags held underneath to stem the blood flow from her chest. The stab wound had been directed at the left side of her chest, and if her foggy memory was correct, she had been stabbed pretty deep with a sword.

It should have pierced her heart and killed her. Thank the devil that within her species, the heart was located on the right side of the chest. Lucky. Sometimes, she thought, you just got to love anatomy.

The bandages covered her chest entirely, and she was wearing a pair of leggings. She sighed and attempted to stand up, but immediately she fell backwards from something. Her back was too heavy. Why would it be heavy? Why did it feel like she was lugging a huge back pack? She looked over her shoulders, and gasped loudly.

Two huge dragon wings were attached to her back, as well as a tail, covered in black scales. She stifled a scream and launched herself off the bed. Her tail dragged across the floor, threatening to trip her, and the weight of her wings made her feel like she was falling over backwards.

Her breathing became ragged as she checked her body. She still had her claws, but they were longer than she remembered, and her fangs were larger. Not only that, but her skin seemed slightly ashen, and the scales on her back covered more skin than she remembered.

She walked over to the full length mirror in the room and saw herself. She had horns coming out of her skull, three sets of two, with the largest being roughly twelve inches long. Her silver eyes didn't have round pupils, but slits like a cat. Her tail was roughly four feet long with a sinister blade on the end.

But her wings, god her wings, they were absolutely massive! In their rest position, the wrist joints and thumb claw stretched over her head, and the claws on the end of the finger bones in her wings grazed the floor. She tried stretching them out to their full length and estimated that her wingspan was around twenty feet.

She looked beautiful, but hideous at the same time. A gorgeous combination of human and dragon genetics, but a freak of nature. She was unnatural. A mistake.

A hybrid.

Neither one, nor the other, she didn't fit in anywhere. She would never be accepted by dragons, and she couldn't possibly hide herself to assimilate into human society. She would be hunted, pursued for life for what she is, possibly sold as a freak of nature or killed and mounted on someone's wall as a hunting trophy. She did not want that life. Her life was practically gone.

She started to hyperventilate. Her lungs burned from the lack of oxygen and she started to panic. Who had seen her? How had she gotten here? How many people knew? What were they planning on doing with her?

All of these questions flashed through her mind, considering the worst possible outcomes. Suddenly, she heard voices from down below from the kitchen, it sounded like Stoick and Hiccup.

Shadow backed up against the furthest wall, not wanting them to see her hideous half form. Then she heard something that made her already cold blood run like ice through her veins, the sound of scraping steel from a scabbard.

They were going to kill her. That was the only thought going through her head. She didn't know why they kept her alive this long, but now they must have grown tired of having an abomination living on this earth. She didn't want to die. She didn't want to let them take her life which she so desperately clung to. She had to get out of there.

Her mind screamed at her to make an escape plan, just as she heard heavy footsteps coming up the stairs.

The window! It was large enough for her to fit through, but once she got out, where would she go? Shadow had no time to think that far ahead as the door slowly opened. With her heart beating in her throat, faster than it had ever beaten before, she ran and launched herself out of the window the same moment that Stoick saw her.

Shadow hit the ground hard thanks to the weight of her wings and tail, and stopped herself from falling on her face by throwing her clawed hands out on front of her. For a split second, she looked back. Stoick was looking out of the window, directly at her. The sound of her name in his scream echoed around everywhere as she ran without a second thought.

Shadow had no idea where she was going, the only thing she thought was to _get away_. Her life was on the line, and she was sure that everyone would kill her on sight if they caught her.

Even with the weight of her wings and tail, she ran faster than anyone could, and those who had seen her and attempted to catch her couldn't keep up with her speed. She ran past many villagers who screamed in terror at the sight of her misshapen body. Some grabbed weapons while others ran away in horror. Every time Shadow almost ran into one person, she would turn and run in another direction, making her patterns completely random. She had no idea were she was going, she just hopped she could get away.

"Shadow!"

She froze at the voice, frozen in her tracts. Fearfully, she turned around, and there he was. Hiccup, fear stricken at the mere sight of her, aboard his Night Fury. She didn't know what to do, should she run, could she outrun an Night Fury even in her current half-form? Should she surrender and accept her fate?

No, she was done.

Shadow turned back and ran, faster than she ever did before. Suddenly the weight of her wings and tail didn't hinder her anymore. As her draonic mind took over, the feeling of the new appendages became familiar to her and with it, made it easier to run. With a massive stride, she launched herself at the round and continued to run, this time on all fours like an animal. It was much easier like this, with the extra thrust her front legs added, and her spine seemed like it was meant to move this way to better help her run. Her tail became a rudder to help her turn faster.

Hiccup and Toothless pursued her from the air. He could help but marvel at how her human and dragon sides worked together. The way she moved, the way she looked, the combination of the two forms. It was truly beautiful in his eyes.

He watched as she ran in random directions, either staying away from villagers or throwing him off he had no idea. But he had to catch her. He wouldn't let her get away, not now.

One by one, the other dragon riders flew in to help the chase. They had been called as soon as he ran out of the house after Shadow, and now with a few hand signals and words, he directed them around to try and corner her.

As a team, they cornered and lured her inside the arena, but Hiccup felt saddened. He couldn't stand the look of terror on her face, as if they were out for her blood. The dragons and they riders flew in through the gate, fanning out to try and keep Shadow in the one spot and to keep her from escaping.

The look of raw and undiluted terror on her face broke his heart. While her face looked like a child in the face of its greatest fear, the rest of her body was poised to fight to the death. Her back was arched and wings slightly extended in a defence mechanism, her claws were extended and ready to tear through anything that got too close, and at the same time her legs were tense and ready to run.

" _Stay away from me!_ " she screeched at them. Her voice was a mixture between Norse and Dragoneese, as if her brain could understand what side of her was in command. Hiccup put his hands up to calm her and carefully directed Toothless to walk forward in a nonthreatening gesture.

She instantly tensed. "We just want to talk alright. We wont hurt you." He pleaded.

"NO! That what they all said before they tortured me! I am not falling for it again! I don't care what you say, I am not going to be caught AGAIN!" She screamed.

Hiccup's heart shattered. He still didn't know everything that happened in her past, but it must have been horrific for the mental and physical scars to remain this strong. He had no idea what kind of emotional trauma she must have suffered, but he didn't want her to think that he would ever do that to her.

"Shadow please. I mean it, we don't want to hurt you." He pleaded again.

Words she had heard a thousand times before, filled with empty promises and hints of betrayal. She was done being cornered like this, she was done with it!

With a snarl of defiance, she felt her fire lungs fill up and burn within her chest. Her mouth glowed a blindingly bright midnight blue, before fire blasted out of her mouth in front of all hew dragons, halting their advancements. She surrounded herself with a ring of fire, which made them all rear back from the heat of the flames.

But the fire would soon dwindle, and they were blocking the only escape. She had to get out now!

This time, Shadow sparked the glands at the back of her throat, creating a lightning strike that she would use. Her mouth cracked and cackled with electricity as it built up.

She saw the look on Hiccup's face, an expression of hurt, sadness, broken trust, sorrow and regret. Even though he was blocking her exit, she couldn't, just couldn't strike him down. She may have done it many times before to others, to other people she once trusted, but she just couldn't kill Hiccup.

Instead, at the last moment, she redirected the shot of lightning and blasted away the chains over her head. The net was obliterated in an explosion of sparks, and before anyone could stop her, she extended her wings to their fullest extent, and flapped. It took longer than she hoped, but eventually, her massive wings picked her up off the ground.

Slowly, but surely, she flew out of the top of the arena. But Hiccup wasn't going to let her get away from him that easily, and he and Toothless ran right through the fire to chase after her.

 **hehehe, I bet you all thought Shadow died. well, sorry, I dont kill off my characters, not yet at least. Bwahahaha! anyway, sorry for the long wait, I have been busy on ideas and a storyline for a sequel, which is coming along nicely. Oh, let me know if there is anything you want to see happen with Shadow and her new half-form. Bet you didnt see that coming, did ya! lol. So, what do you think of this Hybrid form? and what will Shadow do next? you tell me...**

 **favourite and review! reviews make me write faster. until next time :)**


	34. Finally caught (Interogations)

Shadow's wings failed soon after she escaped the arena. They were too weak to support even her small frame, and the muscles were weak from lack of use. Shadow's wings collapsed with her in mid-flight, and she fell to the ground with a painful thud. The roar of a Night Fury spurred her into running again. Hiccup was in pursuit.

This time, as she ran for her very life, Hiccup herded her to the one enclosed area he thought she couldn't escape from. The Great Hall. He could corner her in there until she calmed enough for his words to resonate into her mind. She had to know what was going on. He only hoped she would listen.

Hiccup and the other dragon riders tightened formation around her, blocking her on her left, right, behind and from the air. She could only go where they made her.

Shadow tried to break away once she realised where they were making her go. They were luring her into a trap! But no matter how hard she fought, they didn't let her escape their formation, and she was forced into the confined space of the Great hall.

She stopped in horror once she saw how many Vikings were inside, and most were carrying weapons. Hiccup and the other dragons burst inside and blocked the only exit, everyone closed in around her.

Never before had she been so helpless in her life. Sure, she had been in similar situations, but at those times she had some sort of escape. Now, she couldn't rely on a bargain, hostage, or her dragon form to escape. She was unarmed, her fire lungs unusable, she had no bargaining chip or hostage to use against her captives in exchange for her freedom.

With a start, she realised that her wings were brushing up against the back wall, with the villagers blocking all sides in large numbers most brandishing sharp weapons ready to cut her down, and the dragons reinforcing the barricade. She was well and truly trapped.

Stoick pushed his way to the front, Shadow noting the large axe at his hip, and he held his hands in front of himself to try to calm her. Shadow didn't see the expression as peaceful, instead, her previous experience screamed at her and flashed in front of her eyes.

The army general, the guard captain, the hunters. They had all done the same thing at one point, and it always ended with her in pain and near death, because she surrendered and trusted them.

No more.

Surely Stoick was planning to capture her, maybe publicly torture her before finally letting the remainder of her life force drain away. She was sure of it, sure that she would be tortured horrifically.

She never wanted to suffer that pain again. The attempted burning at the stake, the whipping post and near drowning was enough for her. She didn't want to endure whatever evil they could conjure.

Shadow thought and thought for a possible escape, but she could only think of one…

Tears pooled in her eyes as she mulled it over. Did she really want to do this? Would she finally take that path to escape the pain? Would she do the deed and rid herself of everything? Shadow didn't see any other choice.

Hiccup watched the emotions flash over her face as she stood, cornered by the entire village. The pain in her eyes continued to break his heart. She seemed to emotionally break in front of them all as she silently mulled over her choices.

But then, as she seemed to relax her muscles in defeat, Hiccup saw something in her eyes. A look that he had only ever seen once before. His blood ran cold at the dead look in her eyes, eyes that gazed solemnly at her razor sharp claws.

He knew that look, and it didn't mean anything good. As the first tear fell down her face, Hiccup launched himself off of Toothless to stop her. At that same moment, Shadow closed her eyes and raised her clawed hand to her own throat, poised to slash open the weak flesh. She was going to end her own life.

Everyone stared in shock and horror as Shadow attempted to take her own life, and as Hiccup ran towards her to stop her. He cannoned into her, putting his own throat in front of her dangerously sharp claws, and wrapped his arms around her. She froze as soon as he touched her.

Hiccup didn't care that he was in the clutches of a monster, he didn't care that his life could be ended by her if she so chose, he didn't care that he could be used as a bargaining chip or hostage for her escape, he only wanted to never see that look on her face again. He never wanted to see the face of a suicidal person ever again, lest on Shadow's face.

His own had been scary enough…

"Don't do this…" he begged as he tightened his arms around her. Her scales were cold and touch under his palms. "I don't want to see you take that path… don't think the same things I did." He whispered.

The realisation hit Shadow like a hammer to the face, and in response, she wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace as she came to terms with what he meant.

The tears that pooled around her eyes finally fell, and she cried into his shirt, all audience members forgotten. Her legs gave out and she sunk to the floor, pulling Hiccup down with her. He didn't protest and continued to hold her, running his hands down her scaled back to calm her down.

No one moved as Hiccup cared for and calmed the monster. No, she wasn't a monster, for how could they see her as that if he so willingly held her as she wept. Despite her form, she was still like them, strong and tough but still breakable.

Half an hour later, Shadow was seated around the large fire in the Great Hall with Hiccup by her side, and the whole village watching her. Stoick was seated up the other end with his counsel, quietly speaking to them about the dragon girl in their midst. People were talking to one another and throwing curious glances towards her as they asked questions to their neighbours.

Despite Shadow's dark and foreboding history, she had never faced an interrogation like this before, and it kept her on edge. Solemnly she thought that she could handle an interrogation with a whip better than this. The tension in the air was making her very nervous.

"Shadow. The counsel and I have some questions for you." Called Stoick. Shadow lifted her gave and nodded.

"Firstly, can you tell us who you really are?" he asked. Shadow sighed, no sense in lying anymore.

"I am Shadow Void-Wing, member of the Black Moon Dragon Society." She answered.

"Where do you come from?" asked Stoick again. "Technically I do not come from anywhere. I cannot remember where I was born, but ever since I was three winters old, I have been traveling all over the known world, never settling in any place longer than necessary. Like the rest of my kind, I am a nomad. A gypsy."

People started muttering around her, but Shadow paid them no mind.

"What can you tell us about yourself and your status amongst your people?"

"I am a level three scout for the Black Moon dragons. It is my job to search out possible nesting grounds for my kind. As for my status, my sire is one of the five major army generals in our society." She answered calmly. Daughter of a general? That was new. Hiccup decided to add in his own question before his father could.

"What do you mean, 'level three'?" he asked.

"Levels are awarded to hatchlings every time they live through a century. I am three hundred and seventy five years old from three lunar cycles ago. Therefore, I am a level three. Levels are used to calculate and decide what tasks a member of our council may partake in. However, with my lineage, I have been given some tasks meant for level fives. My sire's status allows me to bend and break rules and gives me special privilege."

Everyone took a few minutes to talk amongst themselves before they went back to her. Stoick and his council members spoke quietly to themselves for some time.

"What about your ability to transform into a dragon? What can you tell us of that?"

"The Black Moon is the only dragon in existence with this ability. Our creation is not entirely confirmed, however it is said that our ancestors were demons created in Hell and released upon the world. It is said that after the dragons began attacking and killing gods, that they were cursed with human forms to limit their power. Although this is not confirmed, this is our belief. Our power was much too great, and we couldn't be left to wreak havoc upon the world without having some sort of leash.

"Our bodies and forms transform in accordance to the moons' lunar cycle. Like with the name, we transform on the night of the new moon, or black moon. We have used this so called curse to live amongst human society, even if it is just for a short time." She said. Hiccup watched her sigh and drop her gaze.

"As for this half-form which I am currently taking, as far as I know this has never happened before. None of my kind has ever been able to become a perfect hybrid of our two forms. However, strong Black Moon's have been able to manipulate themselves to partially transforming when it is not the new moon. I myself have attempted this in the last month, with painful repercussions."

Hiccup watched as she rubbed the back of her head around her huge horns, a sign that she felt pain in that area from those attempted transformations. A few things clicked in Hiccup's mind all at once.

The time of the crescent moon, when Shadow had been hidden for hours after her fight with Astrid. After she had run and hid, and after Fishlegs found her covered in blood, she must have attempted a transformation then leaving her in immense pain.

And that time, around the half moon, on Eel Island where she got sick and ran off into the forest. It made sense now why she ran, _she_ must have been coughing up fireballs, not a wild dragon.

The fight with the Screaming Death. She attacked it directly by tearing at its throat with her claws and teeth. Before that, Hiccup remembered her quizzing Fishlegs on smaller dragon stats. Venom was the common denominator, and he guessed she somehow must have used venom to attempt to kill the beast.

Each of these events had her use something far too unnatural that could only be explained by the use of a partial transformation. It all made sense now. Each time those events happened, Shadow had suffered from pain that they didn't know the cause of. Now he knew why.

 **Well, there it is, another chapter. I hope everyone liked this as much as the others, and I hope this begins to explain just who and what Shadow really is. in this chapter and the next, I will be explaining the workings and culture and fundamentals of the Black Moon's as a race. if there is anything you would like explained, send a review with your question, and I will write it in and answer it as best I can.**


	35. I care too much

"Stoick! Why are you letting this filth live in our village? She has lied to us, tricked us for her own benefit and put us all in danger!" yelled someone with an old cranky voice.

Hiccup groaned once he realised who it was. Mildew. The old man and asshat of the entire village who hated just about everything except for his pet sheep. Shadow turned around to look at the thin, old man who had his walking stick in one hand pointed at her, and his sheep under the other arm.

"She has no right to be here, in fact, for all the horrible things she has done, she deserves to be kicked off the island. Or better yet, executed!" yelled the old man.

Shadow growled and stood up to her full height. Her wings and horns made her look that much taller than Hiccup, making her look very intimidating, if the glowing eyes, claws, teeth and snarl weren't enough.

"Hey kid." She began. "I do not think it would be wise to antagonise the very creature that could eat your pet in three bites." She growled. Mildew scoffed.

"Kid? Who are you calling kid? How dare you!" he yelled, brandishing his stick.

Shadow took a few slow steps forward, the loud thumps echoing around the now silent great hall. Shadow was livid at this disgusting old man who dared defy her. His horrible smell filled her nose and made her face crinkle in disgust. By the looks of everyone around her, no one liked him, and now she didn't either. Hiccup could see the look in her eyes, she meant business. Mildew was sure to get an earful.

"Unless you have forgotten, as I said before, I am three hundred and seventy five years old. I am old enough to have had sex with your great grandfather, _kid._ And you may seriously need to rethink your life choices if you think it's a good idea to piss off a fire breathing beast who can reduce your frail body to a pile of ash and wear the skin of that large, hairy rat as a coat." She snarled.

 _Ouch._ Thought Hiccup. That was harsh. Mildew looked horrified, and probably not because of her threat. Maybe it was time to reel her in before she did anything too brash.

"Uh, Shadow, I think that's enough." He said. Shadow looked towards him and visibly calmed. Mildew angered at the very sight of her.

"See here Stoick, she would threaten a poor old defenceless man. Would you stand by and do nothing as she does what she pleases, including insulting old men?" he cried. Shadow huffed at him, but this time, smoke billowed out of her nostrils in warning. Underneath the scales covering her chest, there glowed a faint red, meaning that she was readying a fire blast. Mildew finally got the message and shut up.

"Remember this _kid._ Blinding light, searing pain, and then _'poof'_ , you're nothing but a pile of ash." She smirked.

"Enough." Rumbled Stoick's heavy voice. "Mildew, Shadow is not to be executed for anything, especially not for being what she is. We don't lop off the heads of people just because they are different. And Shadow, I would appreciate it if you didn't go threatening members of my village… even if no one likes him." Shadow allowed a slight smirk on her lips. Those last six words were whispered softly, but her powerful ears had picked them up.

"Apologies, Stoick." She said.

"Now, back to the business at hand. How many of your kind are out there?" he asked.

Shadow had to stop and think for a moment before answering. Last time there had been a count was well over fifty years ago. "Last time we were counted, we had five hundred mating pairs, and less than a thousand hatchlings under minimum mating age. The lowest it has ever been." She replied.

Hiccup watched Shadow's face closely as she told them of how many of her kind there were. Roughly two thousand seemed like a lot, but the more he thought about it, the smaller the number seemed. Shadow hadn't probably seen another of her own kind in ages, and there was no telling how many of those dragons had disappeared completely in the time that had passed. Their known world was already extremely large, but Shadow had spoken of so many different places that even trader Johan had never heard of. To her, the world was so big, far bigger than the world the Berkians knew.

"Now, we only have one question left for you at this time. After you answer this, you may leave and go where you please." He said. Shadow nodded. Here comes the big one, she thought. One thing she wasn't certain of was what he meant by leave. Did he mean leave the Great Hall, or the island itself? Patiently, she waited for his final question.

"What are your true intentions of coming here?"

Shadow let out a shaky breath. She had many intentions for a lot of things, some of which may not be the best thing to say in front of the chief. She thought it best to speak of her intentions regarding her mission as a scout, instead of her intentions regarding others. May be for the best…

"Before I arrived on Berk, my intentions were to find a suitable place to camp while I explored the surrounding oceans for a nesting ground. I needed to find a place to rest and recover my strength so I could continue my scouting mission. If I were to be discovered by members of a human settlement, my intentions were to be assimilate and exploit every resource available to ensure my own survival, and stay hidden from all humans. My dragon form was to remain strictly confidential and unknown. However, after meeting the dragon riders who caught onto my behaviour, my intentions were changed, they became: keep them from finding out, do not draw too much attention to myself, and use whatever, or whoever I could to ensure I had an escape route." She said calmly. Shadow's eyes flicked to Hiccup sitting beside her. From that one small gaze, he knew what she meant.

When she marked him, it was her way of making sure she had an escape. She had him wrapped around her little finger to benefit herself. He was her escape card, and that made him feel horrible with the knowledge that she would exploit him. He couldn't blame her for doing it actually, because after being alive for so long and using those methods for survival, old methods die hard. He couldn't blame her for using him, but that didn't make it hurt any less.

Stoick gazed squarely into the eyes of the dragon girl before him, what he saw in her eyes was truth. Pure, cold, heartless truth. He knew there were more things from her unsaid, but right now wasn't the time to ask. In fact, it may not be any of his business to ask, he thought as his gaze turned to a solemn Hiccup.

His eyes glanced back at Shadow, who seemed to speak to him over the distance of the table and fire, as if reading his thoughts and expression. Her eyes were filled with promise, and an unspoken vow of loyalty. He watched as her eyes turned to look at Hiccup affectionately, despite his sombre mood. In that moment, Stoick knew, that even if it was her nature to kill in the defence of her life, she would never be able to raise a claw against his son.

And once again, in her glowing silver eyes, he saw truth.

.

"Shadow, I need to talk to you." Came Hiccup's voice. Shadow could feel her already cold blood chill at his words. She turned and took a few steps back, to avoid knocking him over with her wings or tail.

Hiccup stood in awe at her graceful form. Even after the incident that left her in her half-form, she was still as beautiful as a Valkyrie in his eyes, coupled with the terrifying sight of the Black Moon dragon. She was truly unique. His planned words escaped his mind as he simply stared at her, taking in all her features, and marvelling at how her human and dragon aspects worked together in her lithe form.

Her head cocked quizzically as he stood in silence, and he was reminded that he just asked to speak with her. Awkwardly and with a hint of fear in his voice, he cleared his throat and asked her,

"I need to know. If you were ever in danger from us, and by killing me you could make your escape… would you do it?"

He saw Shadow visibly tense at his question, and she was frozen at the sheer intensity of his questioning gaze. Her eyes closed slowly and she let out a shaky breath.

"In the beginning, if that ever happened, I would have done it in a heartbeat to save my own life. And in the end, I would probably still do it… but Hiccup, you have to know something…" her voice trailed off into silence. Very slowly, she stepped forward into his personal space and tilted her head down to him.

Hiccup's cheeks reddened at her close proximity and his breath hitched in his throat. From this close, he could see the detail in her silver eyes, and could just about read every emotion she was experiencing in that moment.

She tilted her head forward even more until her forehead rested against his. He was reminded at just how tall she was. Her short, black hair framed her face as she looked at him and spoke softly.

"I don't think I could ever change my ways. Three hundred and seventy five years is a long time to form certain behaviours, and it would take decades to erase that from my mind. But I want you to know that even if I was forced to kill you… it would kill me too."

Her eyes became slightly glassy as she spoke, like she was confessing her greatest sins. In a way, she was.

"You have grown to mean far too much to me. Losing you would cause me pain." she whispered.

As he stood there frozen as an ice statue, she withdrew her forehead from his and gazed fully at his face. Before he could break free from his frozen trance, she leant forward again and rubbed her cheek against his in a symbol of trust and caring. It was something dragons only did with ne they cared about. Black Moons especially didn't let anything with teeth near their throats, but Shadow partook in the activity to show just how much he meant.

Silent as a Shadow, she turned and walked away towards the academy. Meanwhile, the grin on Hiccup's face grew wider with every step of her feet and swing of her tail.

 **Woah, thats a lot of chapters. thirty five! wow. Unless I get enough reviews that say to keep going, I think this will be the ending of the Black Moon Dragon. But do not fret, my loyal readers, I have been planning on writing a sequel to this fanfic for a while, and am just about ready to start writing. let me know if there is anything you want resolved before I officially end it, if there is nothing then this chapter is the official ending of the Black Moon dragon.**

 **I hope you enjoyed reading my work, and thank you for all your support :) you guys are awesome! Keep your eyes out for the second edition of the Black Moon saga. Coming to you soon.**

 **the story of Shadow, the Black Moon dragon hybrid, is yet to end...**


	36. I will make you fly again (epilogue)

It was now the day after her 'interrogation', and Shadow stood on the edge of a cliff overlooking the vast ocean. She had been discovered by the entire village, transformed in front of them, killed an army of Outcasts and watered the ground with their blood. She had been fatally injured and as a result, almost died even while in her stronger form, and now she was subjected to being in a hybrid form. Her human body coupled with her strong draconic wings and tail, and the majesty of her deadly teeth, claws and horns.

She knew deep down in her heart that she would never fit in anywhere, even if the good people of Berk could look past her deformities, she would still never belong. She was both fire and ice, yet neither at the same time. It was such a lonely concept. To be surrounded by people, and feel so disconnected from them.

She wondered, as she watched the sun bloom above the horizon, would she feel less lonely back on the run? If she wasn't surrounded by people who looked nothing like her, would it hurt less?

Be surrounded by beings who she cannot belong, or alone in the woods, forever running and forever alone from the condescending thoughts of mortals?

She sighed heavily. The morning sun did nothing to brighten her spirits. The birds that flew overhead seemed to mock her with their wings. Even if she decided to leave once and for all, she doubted she could fly. Her wings, despite their potential strength, were far too weak to carry her on air currents. Would her humanoid form even be able to sustain flight?

The sea crashed far below her and the morning breeze tousled her hair. For a long time she stood there, feeling the wind on her wings and horns and the sun on her face. After some time, she sensed Hiccup and Toothless approaching. The Night Fury came and sat on her left, while Hiccup stood on her right, and for a while, the three of them just stood there and absorbed the beauty of morning.

Toothless could easily tell what she was upset about, simply by watching her envy at the flying birds told him. He crooned at her sadly, but told her that she could gain the use of her wings back, if she only tried.

Hiccup listened to Toothless' croons and warbles, and realised exactly why Shadow was so solemn, she wanted to fly.

He smirked as he came up with a plan, and grasped her clawed and scaled hand with his own. He began leading her away from the cliffs with a smile on his face.

Hiccup ignored the questioning looks she gave him and lead her all the way over to the academy.

"I am going to help you fly again." He boldly declared. Her eyes widened.

"I don't know if I can Hiccup. This form may not be physically able to fly. I don't think I can." She said. Her eyes stung as she retreated into herself. Hiccup immediately saw her emotional reaction and stomped over to her.

Even in the face of a dangerous creature, he showed no fear, and got right into her face and held onto her. She was shocked at his boldness and didn't know how to react to him being forceful.

"We _will_ get you flying again. I don't want to hear you say you can't. I managed to give Toothless the ability to fly after he lost his tailfin. I can help you fly too. We are going to do this." He said, smiling at her.

She smiled warmly back at him and nodded. She still didn't know if it was possible, but she would try to fly. For Hiccup.

All throughout the day the two of them worked to strengthen her wings. As the sun continued to rise above the ocean, Hiccup massaged her wing joints to get them used to moving. For hours, Shadow stretched her wings to their fullest extent and back again, working the muscles and making them stronger. By lunch she was flapping her gigantic wings and slowly lifting off the ground. They had to take a few brakes to rest, but the longer they worked, the longer she could stay in the air for.

Toothless even did his best to help his new dragon-like friend. He shared his huge pile of fish to help give her the strength she needed, all the while giving her his biggest gummy smile. By the afternoon, Shadow believed she was ready to try flying for real. Her wings were getting sore from use, but adrenaline pumped through her system with heat like fire.

Hiccup mounted Toothless and they set off for the perfect spot. They went back to the cliffs they stood at that very morning, with the warm sun now behind them, warming their backs. There was a hundred meters in front of Shadow as she prepared herself. A hundred meters ahead, and a few hundred below ere the strong and stormy seas. And endless miles of open air, inviting her to trust her wings and sail on the air currents.

It was now or never. The moment were she would find out if she could fly again. Shadow took long deep breaths to calm her nerves and checked over herself. Her wings were fully functioning, able to extend out to the full wingspan of twenty feet without strain. Her four foot long tail twitched excitedly, completely in her control to help with steering. There would be no failing wings or deadweight tails to hinder her this time.

Shadow closed her eyes and calmed her breathing, mentally preparing herself for what was to come, her body shaking with pure anticipation and adrenaline. Her heartbeat slowed and evened out, as did her breath. She opened her eyes, and started running.

Her blood began to race through her veins as she sped on, the weight of her wings and tail not slowing her in the slightest. With every step of her galloping gate, she got faster and faster, the cliff edge drawing ever nearer. After fifty meters, she was running full pelt towards the cliff, and with a massive lunge like a predator pouncing on prey, her claws hit the ground and sprung her forward.

Her flexible spine arched as she ran on all fours, like the Night Fury beside her. Shadow's shoulders and hips rolled back and forth with incredible speed, she was like a blur. Twenty meters to go, she spread her wings out into first position, her tail steeling into the correct angle to lift her off the ground. Her wingtips spread even further as the runway became ten meters. Her lunging gaits lengthened, now she was gliding those last few meters to the very edge, with nothing but the weight of her wings supporting her.

Everything around her became white noise, the sound of her own racing heartbeat echoing throughout her skull. Her hands made contact with the ground for the last time, her feet not far behind them. For a mere millisecond she stood perched on the edge of the precipice, frozen in that half second a frozen statue of a demon ready to pounce, or a Valkyrie watching her favourite warrior on the battlefield.

Time sped up. She lunged off the cliff, arms outstretched, legs springing her off the ground, wings stretched to catch the wind like the sail of a ship. She looked like a winged lion jumping towards its prey.

She fell…

Then she flapped.

Like a resonating thunderclap, the sound of clashing air currents bellowed around her, and she shot up into the air. Another flap, another bang like thunder. She was flying.

Shadow cried in absolute glee at the feeling of wind rushing around her. The cold air blowing over her wings, though her horns, on her face. Gods, she missed it so much!

She roared in absolute triumph as she flew higher into the sky. She could fly! She could fly!

Hiccup whooped loudly as he rode his Night Fury next to her. And the two of them laughed as they twisted and twirled amongst the clouds. Shadow had never felt this happy before in her life, and to think, it was all because Hiccup had stayed by her side the entire time and helped her along the way. He was truly amazing.

Shadow's heart was filled with such light and happiness as she glided mere feet over the ocean. She was filled with delight, exhilaration and ecstasy. Shadow couldn't even help herself as she began to sing with joy.

" _When the cold wind is a'calling, and the sky is clear and bright. Misty mountains sing and beckon, lead me out into the light. I will ride, I will fly, chase the wind and touch the sky. I will fly, chase the wind and touch the sky!_ "

Hiccup watched, completely entranced by her siren-like voice, as she spun and twirled through the air, like dancing on the wind. His heart and soul warmed at seeing her face, expressions of pure pleasure and happiness on her angular features.

" _Where dark woods hide secrets, and mountains are fierce and bold. Deep waters hold reflections, of times lost long ago. I will hear their every story, take hold of my own dream. Be as strong as the seas are stormy, and proud as an eagles' scream! I will ride, I will fly, chase the wind and touch the sky. I will fly, chase the wind and touch the sky!_ "

Hiccup couldn't help himself, he whooped and yelled in absolute glee alongside her. He marvelled at just how beautiful, amazing and unique she was, and a smile like that made her look more like a Valkyrie than the demon she was.

In turn Shadow stared back at him, thinking of just how mucked up and crazy the last month or so of her life had been. What on earth did she do to get stuck with someone as dedicated, passionate and talented as Hiccup? How much had Berk made her see things different? How much had Hiccup made her feel like she belonged somewhere?

The two males urged her on in a race, to see just how fast a Black Moon can fly, and she eagerly accepted the challenge. Her wing beats created miniature sonic booms every time she added a boost of speed. The inhabitants of Berk watched in awe as she flew over them.

'This is Berk, a giant pile of rock smack bam in the middle of the Northern most waters of the world. The people that live here would laugh at you for tripping over your own feet, but would still help you stand back up and move on as you laugh along with them. It doesn't matter who you are or where you come from, if you treat them like friends, they will treat you like family… even the dragons.'

 **WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOO! I HAVE FINALLY FINISHED THIS FANFICTION! A big thank you to every single one of you fantastic readers who have been with me all this time and reviewed my story. Your support has been amazing with helping me continue my story to the point we are at now. It is official, this is the epilogue of 'The Black Moon Dragon', meaning that the story is now ended. Please dont be sad, because I am working on the second installment of this saga and will be back with more within a month. I will add one more chapter to this story to remind all you great people who have added me to your subscriptions of when the Sequel is up and running. When I do, I will give you the official name of my next fanfic, as well as a sneak peak of what will happen, and a detailed summary.**

 **once again, THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH! It has been wonderful. :D**

 **Keep your eyes and ears open for the next step forward in the life of Shadow Void-Wing, the Black Moon dragon!**


	37. ATTENTION EVERYONE

HELLO TO ALL MY LOYAL READERS! THE PROLOGUE FOR THE SEQUEL HAS BEEN POSTED! I couldn't help myself and wanted to get started as soon as possible, so its already up. The name of the story is 'The Ghost and Shadow Moons'.

Here is the link if you want to find it that way. s/12040524/1/The-Ghost-and-Shadow-Moons

Oh, and as promised, a detailed summary...

.

It had been a long two years since the 'incident' that exposed Shadow to the inhabitants of Berk, and she has finally found a place for herself in the world. Alongside Hiccup and the other riders, Shadow has grown into an amazing and powerful creature, who has learned to use her new half-form in daily life and battle, just as good as her human and dragon forms. Now fully in control of herself and with a life and place she can call home, she has the opportunity to sever all ties to her race of Black Moon dragons, but the appearance of an old 'acquaintance' has her preparing for battle in the name of her dragon kind. As an old enemy appears again, with intentions to kill her and another one of her kind, Shadow has to keep an eye out for the other member of her race, while trying to decide exactly what she wants. Does she want to live the simple life on Berk with Hiccup and his friends, or will she go back the life she has always known and try to find the nesting ground her kind so desperately need?


End file.
